Broken Souls
by PrettyKitty Luvs U
Summary: That's when she saw a man; skin white as snow, green hair slicked back as his ruby red eyes landed on her. "Aw, don't cry little one." He cooed, wiping the blood laced knife with the dead woman's hair. "You'll get your turn too." As blood is brutally shed, flesh is ripped apart and corpses fall, it's up to the dark knight to put an end to a new monster in Gotham. Post Invasion.
1. The Beginning of the End

**A\N**: Being bored to death and a fever is running so no school for me. I thought about writing this then! Hope you enjoy. If you don't like OC stories then please don't read or just don't review. Just don't do anything to make me have bad feelings; this fever is enough to get me killed DX

**DISCLAIMER**: No, I don't own any of the characters except for my OC; you guys already know that right? This is the last time I'm gonna write this disclaimer thing-y for this strange fic I just came up with :\

* * *

Her body _ached_.

She felt like she'd gotten herself hit by a truck, though the feeling was worse than that. Her blue eyes fluttered open, meeting nothing but darkness.

A gasp left her lips as she pulled herself up. She clutched her head, her stick like fingers interlocking with her wavy blonde hair. Her chest was heaving with great speed as her eyes darted across the room.

Soon, she tasted the quite strange metallic flavor in her mouth and realization slapped her. Her blue orbs widened as she looked around, fear spread across her pale face.

A loud maniacal laughter filled the room and the girl screamed at the sight of two dead bodies lying in the corner. "Mommy! Daddy!" She cried out, running at the dead woman and man.

But she stopped, clamping her hands on her mouth seeing that their heart and internal organs were ripped out of their lifeless bodies and a huge smile was carved on their faces with the help of a sharp knife.

That's when she saw a man; skin white as snow, green hair slicked back as his ruby red eyes landed on her.

"Aw, don't cry little one." He cooed, wiping the blood laced knife with the dead woman's hair. "You'll get your turn too." He said, smiling from ear to ear.

He took a step forward to her, licking his red lips when he heard a small cry. He snapped his head to her, confusingly.

She looked back at him, tears coming back to her eyes. "Please, please don't hurt my little brother." She seemed to beg.

The smile on his face turned into an enormous grin. "No can't do, kiddo." He chuckled before running upstairs, following the sounds of crying.

She ran after him, screaming to stop but the purple three piece- suited man paid her no notice. He reached a room, and he knew that the voice of the infant was coming from there.

Quickly, he kicked the door open, his eyes landing on the bundle of sheets on top of the mattress. "Come to Uncle J." He grinned, reaching for the baby. But the man was stopped when two small hands tugged the back of his shirt, yelling for mercy.

He whirled around before grabbing a fist full of blonde hair making the twelve year old girl cry out. Pulling her up, he slammed her body against the door before pulling out a napkin, wiping the blood stains that she had smeared on his shirt. He sent her a glare before turning his attention back to the infant.

A devilish grin tugged his lips as he pulled the baby up with his right arm as the knife danced in his other hand.

"Sleep tight, don't let the _clowns_ bite." He cooed, ready to plunge the knife into the young body.

The blonde girl staggered up, her eyes widening as she let out a blood curling scream.

The Joker laughed, aiming the knife to the baby's chest when something hard collided with his body, sending him flying to the other side. He tilted his head up, eyes filled with fury as he glared at the blonde girl but his lips twisted themselves into an 'O'.

The girl didn't look like what she was before, her once ocean blue eyes had turned to a deadly blood red, the end of her ears had gotten pointy and he could clearly see red flames dancing on her pale palms. All in all she looked blood thirsty and quite ugly.

"Now, now let's _not_ try to kill each other." He smiled, holding his hands up. "I know I killed your parents but a sweet girl like you wouldn't look _good_ trying to kill me, now would you?" He grinned faintly, getting up and dusting his clothes.

The girl hissed, grabbing his collar and slamming his head against the wooden drawer. A loud scream of 'help' was released from the Joker's mouth, but the blonde had other things in mind.

* * *

She sat there, staring at her blood covered hands. She could hear the police sirens quite clearly. She sighed before smiling at her little brother who was fast asleep. She reached for him, cherishing his cheek and ruffling his brown hair.

"Are you okay?" She heard someone say.

"Of course, she's _not_ okay, you idiot!" Hissed another voice.

She cocked her head up only to find two boys standing infront of her. The boys stared back at her; one had bright blue eyes quite similar to hers while the other's was an emerald green.

She blinked at them. They both looked like they belonged from a wealthy family. Her eyes swept over their expensive clothes before she glanced at herself.

Her blonde hair was greasy and dirty, her cheeks were pushed inside her face. She was so thin that it seemed if the air blew fast she might fall and her thin pink frock was tattered from various places.

Her stick like fingers curled into her palms. She was nothing compared to them. A rush of anger passed through her body but she couldn't do anything. So the anger changed to sorrow which ended up in forming tears in her eyes. She cupped her face into her hands before sobbing in them.

The boys exchanged glances.

The elder one which seemed to be thirteen crouched beside her while the other one did the same. "Hey, its gonna be okay." The blue-eyed boy assured the crying girl. "Yeah, the police has taken that stupid clown to Arkham. You're gonna be fine." The eleven year old said softly, patting her back.

A number of hiccups came out from her throat. "H-he never c-came." She cried out, tears slipping down her cheeks.

The blue eyed boy gave her a confused look. "Who?" He inquired from her.

She sobbed out the word. "B-b-batmaaan…" She answered him.

The green-eyed boy shot the other a surprised look. "Joker killed my mommy and daddy and he was going to—"She mourned.

Biting the insides of his cheeks, the ebony sitting at her right asked her. "What's your _name_?"

She looked at him. "Katherine Flynn."

The blue-eyed boy smiled. "Well, my name's Dick and this _here_ is my little brother; Jason." Dick said, looking at the blonde.

Kate blinked at him then Jason who was smirking.

"Are you two the _sons_ of Bruce Wayne?" She inquired, expressions hardening. They both nodded in response.

More tears brimmed in her eyes as she felt more pathetic. Kate bit her lip, looking down at the concrete floor. Her thoughts began to wander off when Jason snapped her back to reality. "Is he your _brother_?" He questioned, pointing to the little baby.

She smiled weakly at him.

"What's his name and how old is he?" Dick beamed, eyes fixed on the sleeping body.

Jason rolled his eyes before shaking his head. "Golden Boy here has a thing for cute things." He joked.

The blonde girl licked her lower lip before answering. "His names Blake Flynn and he's only three months old." She smiled at them.

Before Dick could start another conversation, a man stepped infront of them. "Dick, Jason it's time to go." The man said to his adoptive sons. "Can't we stay for a little longer?" Jason asked, trying to copy the puppy dog eyes taught by his brother.

Bruce shook his head. "No, we can't." He said before looking down at Kate.

"As for you Katherine, Jim is going to take care of you." He said softly to her. The blonde's eyebrows knitted together as she opened her mouth to reply. Just then a man in a police officer's uniform walked up to them.

He tossed a smile to the Wayne family before taking the girl's hand. "Come on. You and your brother are gonna go to the Gotham orphanage." Gordon said, scooping up Blake in his other arm.

Kate scowled before looking up the man. "He _never_ came." She scowled, voice sickly sweet.

Gordon gave her a confused look. "Who?"

The twelve year old frowned. "Batman."

Bruce felt a sharp stab in his chest as his sons gave him worried looks. The man bit his bottom lip as he saw Gordon take the two children away.

Kate whipped her head back, smiling. "Bye Dick, Bye Jason!" She waved at the two boys who waved back with small smiles.

Bruce scowled deeply. He never came in time. He was the reason she was an orphan, he was the reason to her new miserable life. That's when something clicked his mind. When the police had come to the Flynn's house they had found the Joker bleeding and Kate sobbing at the corner of the room with her younger brother in her arms. How did _that_ happen?

His trail of thoughts was broken by his elder son. "It isn't your fault Bruce." Dick looked up at his Guardian. "Yeah, you can't change the past." Jason added.

Bruce sighed in response.

* * *

Kate got in the car, adjusting in the comfy seat. Gordon handed her Blake before getting into his driving seat. Kate smiled at the little body, leaning forward and kissing its soft forehead with her dry lips.

"Don't worry, Blake." She cooed.

"As long as I'm here I'll protect you." She smiled as Blake snuggled his head into her chest.

Kate looked outside, staring at the black clouds massing in the sky as rain began to pour down. "I'll protect you from all the _monsters_ out there." She grimaced, clutching the baby a bit tightly when lightening illuminated the dark sky for a second. "That's _my_ promise." She mumbled to him.

Gordon fixed his seat belt before groaning. "_Great_! It's starting to rain." He frowned, glancing at the girl on the back seat who awarded him with a smile.

Though, the man didn't notice when her blue eyes flashed a ruby _red_.

They began to drive in silence.

* * *

**A\N: **So how was it? I hope it wasn't too boring. If you've got the time then do review. It'll make me feel better :D


	2. A Demon?

**A\N**: Hello. It gives me great pleasure to bring you all an update. Thanks to those who favorited and followed. Major thanks to those who reviewed ;) One more thing my lovely readers, English isn't exactly my first language so please feel free to tell me if there are any mistakes :)

FEEDBACK:

**Piggythelaw**: Lol. Creepy and cute ;) I'm happy I caught your attention. I feel great now. Thank you for reviewing, sweetie!

**Guest**: I have read your review at least nine times and no matter how many times I read it, I feel a hard stab in my chest. I completely understand what you said there, really I have. But I believe that this is Fanfiction and we can write what ever we imagine (me) and we are free to comment whatever we want (you). I'm sorry if you think my OC is typical and unoriginal. I'm even more sorry that you think my story is corny and cliché. But your words really broke my heart into a million pieces. I want to delete your review but I think I should have the courage to face a harsh criticizer.

As for your answer: Fangirls like Nightwing. That's why they pair their OCs with him. It's simple as that. Whenever I see a Robin\OC story on this fandom, I read it and enjoy it. Though, I feel quite bad for the poor authors or should I say Authoress, as I know that sooner or later they are going to get flamed just because of this pairing.

I love Young Justice. I love all it characters and I like being an OC writer. Of course, I pair them together. I don't like the pairing Chalant as you don't like Ocs as I'm a Dibs, Traught and Robstar shipper but you don't see me going on Chalant stories and flaming them. :( There are 15.7 K YJ stories out of which there are only 400 OC stories. I believe you can see which is more.

I don't want you or me to have bitter feelings for each other, I like making friends :) If you'd like, you can PM me and we can have a good fangirl or fanboy chat :D I'm doing it with a lot of Authors ;) I'm sorry if I've hurt your feelings or anything. Please forgive me if I have. Stay Awesome!

**Guest**:Why thank you, dear. I'm happy you liked it. This chapter may help in answering your questions. I hope I'll keep up your interest. Thanks for your awesome feedback :D

**Your Majesty**:Thank you... It's alright. I've talked to the Guest :) Thanks again for reviewing.

**Pen Name Enter Here**: Thaaaaank you... Here's the new chap! P.S I like your pen name ;)

**Summer. Mainstonecotton** :THANK YOU! Don't worry, Jason is gonna play a major role ;D

**Anonymous**:Hmmm... I didn't exactly get what you're trying to say there. Any who thanks for reviewing! Stay Awesome!

**Deadpool**:Thank you, dear. I'm happy to get your attention. Hope you enjoy this chap :D

**HorsemanOTA**:Your review made me giggle ;) Thanks a ton. Here's another chapter.

**Hitboy 47**:Thank you and enjoy :3

* * *

A clap of thunder was soon followed by a shot of lightening in the sky, causing the young blonde to shiver. Gordon looked at the girl from the back mirror.

Kate sat silently, Blake in her arms. The girl's face was expressionless. She seemed to be lost in thought.

Her mind kept drifting back, back where the Joker murdered her mother and father, back when she turned into that ugly monster and nearly ripped the madman's body apart. She was afraid, very afraid. She didn't know who she was. What she was.

Her eyes snapped shut for a slight moment as she let out a deep breath. She needed to think. She needed to save her brother. She wasn't going to cripple like her family.

Gordon frowned as he got out of the car and walked up to a tall black gate. Pulling up his jacket, he passed the smoking security guard who tossed him a smirk. Gordon ignored him before reaching a huge grey door.

His wet finger pressed against the doorbell. A few seconds later, a woman came out. She looked to be in her late fifties; tan skin, grey hair tied in a bun, wrinkle filled cheeks and not to mention her dark chocolate brown eyes.

She smiled at the Commissioner who didn't respond. "Why hello, Mr. Gordon. What owns me the pleasure to see you here?" She asked, a smile playing on her lips that were covered with a dark shade of red lipstick.

Gordon's features remained hard. "Miss. Pricks, I have some children with me." He answered.

She looked at him, unamused. "Oh, where are they?" Miss. Pricks asked, her voice bitter.

The man gestured towards the car parked infront of the gate.

"Well, get the poor babies here." She ordered.

Gordon walked out from the sheltered place, jogging to his car.

He opened the door, startling Kate. "Come on Kate, let's get you and Blake in." He said to her.

Kate gave him a nod. Gordon took off his jacket before wrapping it around the girl and the small infant she was carrying with her.

She got out of the car, walking into the old looking building. As she walked in, Kate could see the security guard quite clearly. Maybe the difference between him and a crocodile was very less. He narrowed his eyes at the twelve year-old before curling his lips into a smirk.

Kate tightened the grip on Gordon's hand who smiled down at the girl.

Miss. Prick's lips pulled themselves into a huge grin. "Aw… she's so precious!" She cooed, ruffling Kate's wet hair. But when her eyes landed on Blake, her grin cracked into a frown. "Who is he?" She questioned, pointing at the baby. Gordon turned his attention to her.

"Well, Miss. Pricks, this here is Katherine Flynn and her little brother, Blake Flynn. Their parents have recently been killed by the Joker and both of them are to stay in your orphanage." He explained to her.

The grey-haired woman glared at the man. "Look Gordon, this here's a girls orphanage. Boys aren't allowed here." She hissed, her eyes darting from Gordon to Kate.

Gordon sighed.

Running a hand through his wet hair, he answered her. "Look Ma'am. Kate only has her brother and I want them to stay together. Blake shall live here until he's old enough to take care of himself, do I make myself clear?"

Miss. Pricks narrowed her brown eyes at him before sighing in defeat. "You always get me to do things I don't like, don't ya Jim?" She smirked, purring slightly as her hands gravitated towards him.

Jim Gordon stepped back, away from her reach causing her to scowl. "Umm… yeah," He said, not liking what she had in mind. He had a family, he was happy. He didn't need anyone else except for his wife and daughter.

Gordon whipped his head to Kate, who looked quite disgusted by the woman's antics and ways. "Listen, Kate. He gave her a small smile. "If you have any problems then just contact me. I'll be there." He assured her, squeezing her shoulder.

Miss. Pricks quickly took Blake from the girl's arms as she gently patted her head.

Smiling down at Kate she said, "Don't worry, Mr. Gordon. I'll take care of her like she's my own daughter. Right, baby?" She clicked her tongue, her voice smooth and sweet as honey.

Kate awarded her with a smile.

The woman took the girl's hand as she walked her inside. As soon as Kate's foot stepped into the hallway, her nose crinkled. The atmosphere was thick and smelt highly of alcohol, not to mention there was high metal music coming from somewhere.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she opened her mouth to question, "Miss Pricks—"

The girl was cut off by a hard slap to her right cheek.

Kate looked up, tears brimming in her eyes as she placed a hand on her cheek that was throbbing badly. Miss. Pricks glared at her before pushing Blake into her arms.

Propping her hands on her hips, she began. "Listen up, ya little shit. This here's an orphanage. Nobody's gonna take care of ya and ya'r lil brat here. Clear?" She said, her voice suddenly cocky.

Kate began to whimper.

Miss. Pricks snorted. "And no cry'in here. You wanna live a happy life? Just follow ma orders and I guarantee, I'll try not to make ya'r life a livin hell." She bent down to Kate's level, reaching for her face.

Her face was so close and a gasp left the blonde's lip as the woman dug her long nails into her pale cheeks. Kate felt her stomach drop as her nostrils got filled by the smell of whiskey coming from the woman's mouth. "Ya're supposed to call ma Mama P, understood or should I repeat?" Miss. Pricks deadpanned.

The twelve-year old nodded vigorously, tears slipping down her cheeks.

Miss. Pricks stood up, smiling. "Good," She said before bringing her hands to her mouth. She blew a loud screeching whistle. "Bertha! Get ya're sorry ass here and help ya're Ma!" She shouted loudly.

A moment later, Kate saw a girl running up to them and the little blonde's eyes widened at the girl's lack of clothing. She looked to be sixteen per say. The brunette gave the little blonde a smirk and Kate could guarantee she was drunk.

"What is it Mama P?" She asked lazily. Miss. Pricks cracked her a smile. "Hmm… enjoy'in yourself? How's the man payi'n?" The woman inquired, smirking broadly.

Bertha smiled at her 'mother'. "He's okay Ma. Quite rich." She sang, clapping her hands and giving a laugh.

Her gaze shifted to Kate whose hold on Blake had tightened. "Do you wanna send her in too?" She asked, licking her lips, her eyes wandering over the blonde's body.

Miss. Pricks shook her head.

"Not yet, she's small. Everyone likes them, big and ripe." The woman smirked, winking. Bertha laughed even more.

She whirled around, grabbing Kate's arm. "I'll show you and you're brother's room." Bertha sneered, pulling Kate who didn't resist her touch. She couldn't fight, she was too weak.

Bertha lead her through the halls and Kate kept muttering prayers for the safety of herself and her brother. Soon, they reached a door. Quickly, she turned open the knob and threw Kate inside.

Before closing the door, Bertha tossed a smile. "Don't get too comfortable. We all get our turns, you'll get you're too, when you're ready." She blew her a kiss before giggling like a maniac and slamming the door shut.

Kate's mind went blank for a second. She couldn't believe what just had happened. In the next second, Kate placed Blake on the worn out mattress before throwing herself over it. She began to beat and cry. She beat at it, beat at it and beat at it. She sobbed, sobbed until her eyes went puffy red.

She was going to die here. She screamed, thrashed and she knew nobody hear her over the loud music and wooing coming from outside. Blake's eyes opened before he too began to cry.

Spinning on her heel, Kate walked up to her little brother. She took him gently in her arms before sitting on the bed. She pressed her lips to his forehead, squeezing her eyes shut. "Shh… Blake." She said, whimpers coming out from her throat. "It's gonna be okay. I'm here." She mourned.

They were going to die.

* * *

It was quite at the Wayne House. Too quite, to be exact.

Bruce glanced up from his soup to his two sons. Both were busy in eating, though there were no arguments going on tonight. Bruce knew Dick and Jason quite well. Both had a thing for fighting with each other in every stage of life. The blue-eyed man looked at his first son; Dick. The Romani was lost in deep thought as he took small bites from his food.

The man's eyes shifted to Jason. The boy was not talking. He talked a lot. Jason's mouth was moving, confirming the man that he was chewing on something but his bright green eyes were fixed on the table as his eyebrows were knitted together in worry.

Bruce knew what he was thinking, infact he knew what they were all thinking. Now, Bruce wasn't a telepath neither was he a Martian but living with his sons and having bat training for years he could easily detect someone's thoughts.

"It's our entire fault." He heard Dick say.

He cocked his head up along with Jason, both eyes fixed on the thirteen year old. "We shouldn't have gone on vacation. It's our fault that her parents got killed by the Joker. We made a huge mistake to leave Gotham for only a week." The young boy grimaced.

His Father stared at him as Jason scowled.

Bruce sighed. "It isn't anyone's fault." He began.

It wasn't their fault. It was his fault. He had left for Florida with his two sons for a small break that was highly inspired from Alfred, Leslie, Clark and some of his fellow partners. Everyone thought that he needed rest as Batman and Bruce Wayne. They said Gotham wouldn't destroy itself for only a week's time. They were right. Gotham didn't destroy herself. It destroyed the lives that lived within her.

And she had ripped away a girl's childhood.

They were coming back home from the airport. They had a lovely time in Florida, he had enjoyed the most as his sons were smiling and laughing through the whole trip. Bruce could still remember when their car passed a house, police cars parked around it. The man had gotten worried so he slipped out from the car, telling his sons not to come out as he tried to investigate the crime.

Dick and Jason had awarded him with dumb looks and he knew they were gonna come with him. So he took them into. At first, it was hard to get rid of the number of police men that wanted him to stop from entering the crime scene but nobody could stop the Batman, now could they?

There he had learnt how young Katherine's parents got killed by The Joker and how the police was late to save them. He felt his heart tie itself in a tight knot. Another child had lost her loved ones because of the psycho clown. He'd found Dick and Jason consoling Kate and then he saw Gordon take her and her baby brother away.

The man shook his head, the memory fading away. Bruce got up from his seat, excusing himself when the eleven year old questioned.

"Aren't we gonna go on patrol tonight?" Jason asked as Dick rolled his eyes. "You mean me and Bruce go on patrol tonight?" Dick smiled as Jason narrowed his eyes at him.

Bruce sighed. "No, we're not gonna go on patrol tonight. Go and get some sleep you two." He said, walking away from them.

The boys let out groans.

* * *

He sat in his seat, his masked eyes peering at the massive screen infront of him. Batman took a sip from his now empty mug before his fingers began to tap on the bat-computer's keyboard.

An old man walked in. In his hands was a kettle, steam coming out from its nose. "More coffee, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked, walking up to him.

Batman shifted in his seat, holding his cup up. "Yes, Alfred."

The old butler nodded before pouring in the hot liquid into the empty cup.

Alfred placed the kettle back on the silver tray he was carrying with himself. "Something bothering you, Master Bruce?" Alfred inquired in his British accent as his grey eyes landed on the caped crusader.

The Dark Knight mumbled. "No, nothing." He answered.

And then curiosity got to him. He began to open various files of people that lived in Gotham when he typed a name 'Katherine Flynn'.

A large file popped up on the enormous screen with the picture of a young blonde girl with brilliant blue eyes. He moved his cursor to it before giving a small click.

Various information began to run on the screen. The girl's name, place of birth, parents name, each and every detail. Batman began to read it, not missing anything when he came across something bizarre.

Katherine's Father was a psychiatrist in Arkham Asylum. He was given the chance to try some tests on The Joker, in the hope of curing the madman. As The Dark Knight had thought, Mr. Flynn failed bitterly. He was fired from his job and in a few months he and his family were living a miserable life with poverty coming in with open arms.

Batman frowned under his cowl as he read more. A year after getting fired from Arkharum Mr. Flynn had tried various jobs but his efforts didn't bear fruit. Three months ago, his wife gave birth to a baby boy, Kate's younger brother; Blake.

Today was the day her parents had died as the Clown Prince of Crime wanted to have some 'fun' with his old doctor, leaving the twelve year old alone with her brother in such a cruel world.

Batman leaned back in his chair. That explained why The Joker had gotten to their house, it had helped but now the girl was safe. She was safe in the Gotham Orphanage.

The caped man felt his eyelids drop for a second, he needed to sleep. Giving a sigh, he moved the cursor to close the opened file when he saw something that surprised him quite much.

In Katherine's bio there was a block labeled as species. He zoomed in to have a closer look. It had the words 'half human half demon' written in it in quite small words in a way that it was quite difficult to read.

Batman quirked a hidden eyebrow. That didn't make any sense? What did it meant by half demon?

Frowning, the man opened it and he was surprised by the discovery. Katherine's grandmother was a demon.

A demon.

And the girl had somehow inherited the power.

The Dark Knight scowled. That's how she had taken down the Joker. That's how she had protected herself and her brother. This was not something to be happy about. Kate was dangerous and she could be deadly.

His scowl deepened even more, he needed to check up on her. He needed to perform a blood test. Batman's lips brought themselves into a straight line.

This wasn't good.

Batman pulled down his cowl before rubbing his temples. He needed to investigate.

* * *

**A\N**: I hope you liked it! If you did then drop a review, it makes me smile :-) I promise to respond. To those who asked about my fever, thank you for your concern. I feel great now :D Next chapter will be more interesting.

Thank you for taking the time and reading!


	3. Teddy Bears and Promises

**A\N**: Hello dearies. I have come with an update :D Really sorry to those who're waiting for a 'Life of Death' update. I'm just not in the mood to update it right now :P Lol. I have other stories too you know! Ahem.

**FEEDBACK TIME:**

**Lord-of-Change:** Why thank you! Great to hear that you find Kate interesting :D As for those questions: As you see Gotham Orphanages are sort of like that. (Best example from Dick and Jason) So, I just went with the flow :P The info was there for a reason. Kate's family was really poor so none of them exactly knows about that, not even Kate. I don't know why but I laughed at your review. Any who, I hope that clears things up or you can always ask me more : )

**Guest**: Your review was harsh but I guess you were right in your point of view. Our hearts are cleared; that's what matters most! :3 It's alright, I forgive you. Dude, you already convinced me :P Lol. You're a girl? Well, you're not an author so maybe that's why you don't understand the feelings of the Authoresses who get flamed. I have a male OC story : ) Don't worry, he isn't paired with Dick ;P Yup! We'll get there eventually :D Thanks for reviewing, sweetie!

**Your Majesty**: First off, love the name you use. Second, thank you. Third, I'm not gonna tell whose Kate gonna get paired with :P It's gonna be a surprise and I won't give spoilers ;)

**HorsemanOTA**: *Grins* Thank you! Please, you're making me blush! :P Yeah, things are gonna get rougher for Kate. : ) Thanks for reviewing!

**Piggythelaw**: Thaaaaaaanksss… *Eats cookies* Yummmmmmmy! *hands you box of chocolates* these are for you! ;)

**PainInSilence**: Thanks for reviewing, dear! Here's the update! P.S Love your pen name. ;)

**IsaBean**: Aw, your making me blush! Thanks. Happy to see you like Kate. *Gives evil laugh* Yeah… Freaky huh? Here's the new chap. Thanks again!

* * *

_Cold_.

The water was _so_ cold.

The cold water poured down on her, clearing the dirt and filth from her body. The little blonde rubbed her sore arms, detecting the blue and purple bruises marked on it. A hiccup escaped from her throat as her tears got mixed with the icy water pouring down her face. With slow speed, she cleaned herself, flinching when her small boney fingers landed on a bad bruise.

_Bruises_; so many of them covered her body. She'd gotten them recently last night and she had learned her lesson that denying Mama P's orders was something she would regret doing next time.

She was knocked out from her thoughts when she heard the door open. Her body began to tremble as she hesitantly peered outside from behind the curtain which hid the rest of the dignity she had left.

Kate's icy blue eyes were filled with fear as she looked at Bertha who held some clothes in her hands. The brunette began.

"Hey, blondie!" Berth yelled, chewing on a bubble gum and glaring at the blonde girl behind the curtain.

The sixteen year old threw the clothes aside before walking back to the door. "Hurry up and get dressed. Mama P needs you with her in the next ten minutes." Bertha yelled, closing the door before stopping.

She could hear the water stop. "Oh and don't forget to bring the little brat with ya." Bertha added, slamming the door shut.

Kate bit her lower lip as she walked out from the shower and wrapped an old yellow towel around herself. Quickly, she picked up the new clothes Bertha had thrown inside. Her eyes examined the blue hoodie and black cargo pants for a second when something clicked her mind.

Why was she given new and better clothes to wear all of a sudden?

* * *

Kate was confused, really confused. She jogged to Miss. Prick's office, passing by other girls who awarded her with glares or new nicknames and she could feel her nostrils flare a little because of the strong stench of alcohol.

She didn't care though. She'd gotten used to it after a month of staying here. Even more, she had realized that crying over things never helped. It was a waste of time; it wasn't like that breaking a few tears would make her family come back or help her escape this synonym of hell nor would it kill the Joker.

The last two words made her teeth grind together and her nails dig into her palms. A large amount of hatred ran through her veins and made her growl. She could hear him; she could hear him in her head; the insane laughter, the screams of her parents, the shots, the splattering of blood, the collapsing of human bodies and the cracking of two skulls.

The blonde stopped her ears, mentally begging to stop her brain from replaying the awful memories.

It was too _painful_.

Increasing her pace, Kate entered Miss. Prick's office as she got ready for anything new. The blue eyed girl was surprised to see Blake in Miss. Prick's arms and she was even more surprised that his old worn out clothes were replaced by new ones.

The woman tossed her a smug smirk. "Ya're here." She said a bit too cheerfully before glancing at the clock. "And exactly on time." She said, the smirk turning into a grin.

"Good, or else ya were in for a hard slap." She added.

Kate swallowed before opening her mouth. "Is-is everything okay?" She asked carefully.

Miss. Prick's shot her a glare. "Say the full sentence."

A cold shiver ran down her spine. "Is everything alright, Mama P?" Kate repeated, her voice not stuttering this time. Miss. Prick nodded.

The silver haired woman walked up to her before pushing Blake in her arms. "Some people are coming to see ya and ya've to be on yar best behavior." Miss. Pricks told her.

Cocking her head up from her little brother, Kate gave Miss. Pricks a puzzled look.

She didn't know she had someone who'd like to meet her. Truth be told, she only remembered her old grandmother when she was only two. She only had remembered her granny whom had an unknown death. She didn't know anyone else in the family.

If someone from her family was actually going to come and meet her, she wouldn't hesitate in telling them about the orphanage and the way its keepers were using it. Maybe that someone would take her home and she and her brother would live a happy life.

Distracted in her thoughts, Kate didn't see the way Miss. Pricks was studying her features. Though, she did notice when the nose of a hand gun was placed on her right temple.

Kate's lower lip began to quiver.

Miss. Pricks narrowed her eyes. "Listen to me carefully and listen to me close. Whoever is gonna come here. Ya're _not_ going to be a little bitch and tell them how much _love _ ya're getting here. Understand or should I repeat?" The woman whispered softly as she pressed the gun harder to her temple.

The twelve-year old pulled Blake closer to herself. "Y-yes Mama P." She answered, squeezing her eyes shut.

Miss. Prick smirked as she placed a hand on her hip. "Don't tell them anything or else I'll shoot you and your brother's freaki'n brains out." She threatened, walking up to her desk.

A small cry left Kate's lips before she began to collect herself. Miss. Pricks looked at her over her shoulder before she smiled. She pulled out a cigarette as she lightened it up.

"Ya know what blondie? I think ya've got potential so stick around with me and you may learn a _few_ things." Miss. Pricks said, pressing the cigarette to her crimson red lips and exhaling smoke.

Crystal blue eyes looked up at the brown eyed woman with wonder. Kate stared as Miss. Pricks grin grew and she winked at her.

* * *

Pushing back a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, Kate observed the room. It was a simple guest room with a large table, four green comfortable sofas and a dark green carpet. It was mainly used for visitors; no wonder there was any smell of smoke or wine. Kate cocked her head up at the fluorescent lights that enlightened the room before looking down at her younger brother.

Blake stared back at her with his hazel brown eyes before giving out a yawn. Kate couldn't help but find it adorable. She began to rock him in her arms. He was sleepy, she could tell. Kate gave a sigh, thinking when her visitors would come.

As if on cue, she heard some noises coming from outside. The noises sounded familiar. Her ears perked up as she judged the noises as arguments when suddenly the door flung open revealing two boys about her age.

Dick and Jason were fighting _again_.

"Give _that_ to me." Jason ordered, trying to snatch the black bag that his elder brother held.

Dick shook his head. "Nah uh! Bruce said that I get to give it to her." The ebony rolled out his tongue at the younger boy.

Jason growled in response. "No, he didn't!"

"Yes, he did."

"No, he didn't."

"Yes, he did."

"No, he didn't."

"Yes, he did."

"No, he didn't."

The two raven haired boys bickered badly, not noticing the quizzical look being sent their way by the blonde. Why were they here?

Just then a man walked in. Bruce glared at his two sons who were trying to kill each other. He then said something to them in a language unknown to Kate but she could tell that it was Romani.

"Va voi doi opri lupta? Se comporte!" The man scolded them. Dick and Jason gave out huffs before glaring at each other. "A inceput sa-l!" Dick said, pointing at the green-eyed boy who scowled at him.

Bruce glared at the thirteen year old who awarded him with a dumb look. Sighing, the man turned to Kate who sent him the same look Dick had given him.

Giving out a deeper sigh, Bruce tried to talk to her when Dick beat him to it. "Kate! How are you?" Dick smiled, walking up to the blonde before enveloping her in a friendly hug.

Kate felt uncomfortable by the action but she smiled at him. In the blink of an eye, Dick had pulled Blake away from her.

"How's Blake?" He cooed at the young infant who stared at the boy with big brown eyes.

Jason shook his head, muttering a small 'idiot' with it before walking towards the girl. "Hey, Kate." He smiled at her.

"Umm… hey." She responded unsurely.

Bruce gave a frown as he sat on one of the couches. "Hello, Katherine. How are you?" He inquired from her.

Kate stared at them. She didn't know why they were all here unless Bruce Wayne was her long lost Uncle. _Yeah right!_ She mentally rolled her eyes at the thought.

"We're here to see how you are doing." Bruce said, not knowing how to start the conversation.

Dick gave his blue orbs a roll at his Father's weak attempt. He turned to Bruce before handing Blake to him. "Isn't he _cute_, Bruce?" Dick grinned at him.

Bruce gave him the infamous bat glare, mentally asking him that why he had handed Blake to him?

Suddenly his cell phone began to vibrate. Pulling Blake up on one arm as if he was a sack of potatoes, Bruce picked his phone up. "Hello, this is Bruce Wayne." He said in his monotone voice.

The blue-eyed man got up from his seat as he began to walk around the room talking with his client and rocking Blake in his left arm.

Jason sighed before taking a seat infront of Kate. "So… how's it hanging?" He asked, looking around the room.

"Fine. You?" She answered.

Dick took a seat beside Jason, adjusting the black bag with him. He turned his attention to the blonde who was talking to Jason at the moment. Soon, the three began to talk. The conversation was simple but he couldn't help but feel that the girl looked uneasy and confused the whole time.

Jason could feel it too. He could tell that she was forcing herself to act normal.

"Okay Kate, we want to ask you _something_." Jason grimaced. Kate blinked at him.

Dick continued. "Yeah, it's _really_ important." He told her.

The twelve-year old's eyebrows knitted together as she gave a small nod.

"Is this place treating you well?" Jason asked her solemnly.

She remained silent.

"Kate, please tell us we can help." Dick tried to buck her up. "We've been to Gotham Orphanages and trust us we didn't have exactly a good experience." He added.

The blonde resisted the urge to cry out and scream what this place was like. She wanted to tell them that she was going to die here. She wanted to scream out to them but then she remembered the gun placed roughly on her head.

'Don't tell them anything or else I'll shoot you and your brother's freaki'n brains out.'

Miss. Pricks voice rang in her ears making her seal her lips shut. Biting down her bottom lip, Kate stared at the blue and green eyes looking at her worriedly.

"Yeah, it's great here. But they could use a new recipe for soup." She joked, smiling at them.

Satisfaction seemed to appear on their faces as they smiled at her. "Don't worry they'll fix that." Jason chuckled leaning against his seat.

His elder brother joined in. "Yeah! They'll fix that sooner or later." Dick laughed. In return, Kate forced a smile, biting back tears.

A moment of awkward silent, Kate asked them. "So, is he _dead_ yet?" She inquired.

"Who?" Jason raised an eyebrow.

"The Joker, that's who," Kate responded. Realization seemed to slap Dick's and Jason's face as they stared at her, bug eyed.

Slowly, Jason opened his mouth when all of a sudden, Dick gave his head a slight slap. "Hello Megan! We brought something for you." He grinned, reaching out for the black bag.

Kate raised an eyebrow at Jason who mouthed the word 'crazy' to her.

Unzipping the bag, Dick pulled out something. "We got _these_ for you." He beamed placing two small teddy bears infront of her.

The blonde's eyebrows rose at the two brown teddy bears; one had a sparkling _blue_ bow tie while the other had a _green_ one.

"_I_ bought them." Dick stated proudly, grinning like a madman. Kate smiled but before she could reply Jason began to talk.

"Yeah, but it was _my_ idea." Jason smirked, glancing at Dick. "One's for you and one's for Blake. You can take _whichever_ you like." Jason grinned at her, his eyes holding mischief.

Dick snorted.

Kate grinned at them. "Thank you." She smiled, looking down at the teddy bears before picking the green bow tie one. "I think I'll keep _this_ one." She cocked her head at them, squeezing the fluffy toy to her chest.

Though, Kate's eyebrows furrowed when she saw Jason shoot Dick a toothy grin and in return, Dick scowled at him before picking up the blue bow tied teddy bear.

"Don't you like _this_ one?" Dick questioned her, raising the teddy bear up to his eye level making her clearly see the resemblance between the blue bow tie and his crystal blue eyes.

Kate blinked at them before a small crimson blush appeared across her face.

A bubble of laughter escaped her lips, making the two boys confuse. Kate however, kept laughing. She got the game the two were trying to play with her.

She bit her lip, stopping herself from laughing more and she just realized that it had been a month she hadn't laughed like that.

Smiling from ear to ear, she took the teddy from Dick. "I think I'll keep them _both_." She said, still smiling. Dick grinned in response as Jason crossed his arms over his chest, smirking playfully.

"But what about Blake?" Jason pointed out. Kate tossed him a cheeky grin. "He'll have to _share_ them with me." She answered him.

"And I know _exactly_ what to name them." She said to the two who sent her amused looks.

"I'll name this one D." She gestured towards the blue bow tied teddy bear. "And this one; J." She pointed to the green bow tied teddy bear. "Together, I'll call them DJ." She laughed, her eyes giving a sparkle.

The boys' cheeks flushed red as they looked at her sheepishly, knowing well that she'd figured the whole thing out.

"I hope that clears things up for you." Bruce said into his cell phone before hanging up. Giving out a deep sigh, he turned around, his gaze landing on his sons who were… _blushing_?

Did he miss something?

Ignoring their flaring cheeks, Bruce sat on the side sofa before lying Blake down gently who had fallen asleep in the man's arms.

"Katherine, I want to ask you something." He said to her.

"We'd already asked her, Bruce." Came Jason's voice. Bruce gave a nod.

He turned his gaze to Kate. "Do you remember something?" He asked her.

"Remember _what_?" Kate cocked her head at him.

Bruce didn't notice the two teddy bears she was holding. "When The Joker killed your parents. Do you remember how he got in the bleeding state afterwards?" He questioned her, his Batman mode turning on.

Kate felt her throat go dry from the question. "_No_, no I don't." She answered slowly.

Bruce frowned.

"Are you _sure_?"

"Yes, I'm _positive_."

She lied with confidence. Of course, she remembered. She remembered it all. She could see the memory replay in her mind; her anger reaching its limit, her turning into that hideous monster, the screams of the clown and the slow ripping of flesh. _Oh God…_

Kate's gaze settled on the man before her. "Well, there was a light and the next thing I know the Joker is bleeding and whimpering in the corner of the room."

Bruce gave her a doubtful look but Kate's gaze didn't waver. She didn't want to be sent to Arkham or a laboratory to be tested on. She couldn't leave her brother. Her powers were going to be a secret, only limited to her.

Seeing that the girl remain firm on her answer, Bruce felt a bit relieved. But he stared at her, observing her facial expressions.

As far as he knew, she didn't even know she was a demon.

After a small staring match, Bruce's attention shifted to his eldest son. "Dick, give me the bag." He said to him.

Dick hurriedly gave it to his guardian. Bruce turned his attention to the blue-eyed blonde who was looking at them with worry.

"Now Kate, I want you to give me something." Bruce said softly.

Kate swallowed the lump forming in her throat, nodding.

That's when Bruce pulled out an empty _syringe_ from the black bag. Kate felt her heart miss a beat.

Dick and Jason exchanged unimpressed looks. Their adoptive father began. "I want you to give me blood for a CBC." Bruce gave a small smile as he fixed the needle on top of the syringe.

"N-no." Kate stuttered, trembling with fear. "Stay a-away from m-me." She warned as her muscles began to tense.

"Oh, it wouldn't hurt. Just trust me will y—" Bruce was cut off.

"I _don't _trust you." Kate spat out.

Dick looked at Jason who shrugged in response, looking at Bruce. The man's eyes narrowed as his lips brought themselves into a straight line. He needed the blood to verify if she was a demon or not and if she didn't let him, he'll have to use force.

Jason sighed before looking over Kate. "Hey, it doesn't hurt and we're trying to help you here so will you cooperate or _what_?" He said, green eyes looking straight at blue ones.

Dick stepped in. "Yeah, just _relax_. It'll be okay."

The blonde stared at them, thinking to scream if anything was done against her will. "_Trust_ us." Jason assured her with a smile spread across his lips.

She looked at them. Something made her believe the two, something helped her trust _them_.

Kate looked up at Bruce who held the syringe in his hands. Collecting her bravery, she extended her arm as she rolled up her sleeve. "Alright but please don't make it hurt too much." She told him.

Bruce sent Jason and Dick impressed looks and in response he was awarded with grins and smirks.

Applying a cold liquid over her shoulder making the girl shiver, Bruce took her small hand in his larger hand. He pricked her skin by the needle of the syringe, drawing in ruby red blood.

Surprisingly, Kate found his touch soft and gentle and it didn't hurt at all. The blood sample being taken, she quickly pressed a bandage to her arm before pushing down her sleeve, hiding the bruises that had began to cover it.

"Now was that _that_ bad?" Jason's voice rang against her ears making her smile. Dick grinned as he patted her back as if saying good job.

Bruce had gotten what he had came for so after a small conversation (that really involved Jason and Dick chattering with Kate) he told them that it's time to go.

The twelve year old frowned hearing that. She didn't want any of them to leave. Dick and Jason nodded, getting up from their seats.

"We'll try to visit you _every_ month." Dick smiled, pulling the girl in to a hug who she didn't return and pressing a kiss to Blake's cheek.

"We'll keep in _touch_." Jason smirked and to the blonde's surprise he wrapped an arm around her tiny waist, giving her a small hug that surprisingly she returned.

Bruce gave her hair a ruffle. "Take care, Katherine. If you ever need anything you know who to call." He tossed her a smile.

After goodbyes were exchanged the door was closed, leaving a slightly less sad Kate. She turned her head to her baby brother. "They were kinda nice." She told the four month old baby.

Sighing, she got off the couch, picking up Blake and her new teddy bears and walked to Miss. Pricks's office. Though, when she was about to knock at the door she stopped.

Spinning on her heel, she walked to her room instead and for some unknown reasons the alcohol in the atmosphere and the loud metal music didn't bother her.

* * *

Typing on his computer, Batman sat in the bat cave with a cup of coffee resting at his right. Not to mention, his two sons were with him. Dick was in his Robin costume as he stood beside his mentor, his masked eyes glued to the screen while Jason was leaning against the wall, a chocolate bar in his hand.

"So… you think she's a _demon_?" Robin asked, trying to absorb the strange information he had gotten from his mentor.

Jason rolled his eyes. "I think he's taken too much coffee lately." The eleven year old said, munching on his chocolate bar.

Batman didn't respond, he was waiting for the results.

The emerald-eyed boy continued. "I mean how the hell can she be a demon? Demons don't even _exist_!" He exclaimed.

"She's a _half_ demon, partially human," Came Batman's solemn voice.

Robin whipped his head to Jason whose mouth was covered with the sweet treat. "Demons are real but it's the first time I actually met one." The boy said as Jason cleaned his mouth with his sleeve.

"She's too _nice_ to be a demon." Jason muttered loud enough for them to hear.

A devilish smirk lit up Robin's face. "Oh, so that means you _like_ her?" He smirked as his younger brother glared at him.

"Do _you_?" Jason countered, smirking.

Robin narrowed his eyes at him, opening his mouth to shoot a snappy comment when Batman cut him off.

"The results are here." The caped crusader stated pressing a few keys as a large file came on the enormous screen. Robin began to read it out loud.

Jason again rolled his green orbs. "See, I told you she isn't a demon."

Batman scowled. The reports were clear. He was wrong that made Kate's comments true. But why then did her bio read half-demon? Maybe someone was joking around or it could have been an accident.

The caped man, however, sighed. At least, he wouldn't have to keep an eye on her anymore.

Robin scratched his chin. "I guess we were wrong, huh? I'm not feeling whelmed."

Jason rolled out his tongue at him. "Hey, dick-head. You didn't answer my question." He said, grinning.

The Boy Wonder sent him an unamused look. "I asked you first." He smirked at him.

And before the conversation was about to turn into a fight Batman got up from his seat. "Come Robin. Gotham needs us." The Dark Knight said walking away as his cape swished in the air.

The thirteen year old stuck his tongue out at Jason who growled in response. "To the batmobile!" Robin cheered, fist pumping the air as he followed his mentor.

Jason huffed before cocking his head up and looking at the Bat signal presented in the dark sky.

* * *

Kate placed her little brother on the worn out mattress before accompanying him with her teddy bears.

She smiled, reaching forward and ruffling her younger brother's hair. "Maybe, the world isn't filled with dark monsters after all?" She thought out aloud.

Running a hand through her blonde hair, Kate remembered Miss. Pricks's sentence. 'Stick around with me; you might learn a few things.'

She bit her tongue, thinking. She'd seen Miss. Prick fight and she'd seen how everyone was afraid from her. She could learn, maybe just maybe, and then she might clear the dirt away from this world.

She tilted her head up, peering outside the metal bar window, staring at the big bat sign in the sky.

Her blood began to boil and a growl left her throat. He didn't know anything, he was weak. He was pathetic. He couldn't save her or her parents. He wasn't enough. He didn't know how to perform a job. He was not wanted.

_Batman._

She thought, her chest getting filled with hatred. Kate looked up at the Bat signal, her eyes glaring daggers.

"Things will have to _change_." She said, her eyes not leaving the signal for a single moment.

Her eyes changed from the sapphire blue to ruby red.

"Ten years, ten years I give you and if you fail to make Gotham any better then I'll do things my way and it might get _messy_." Kate bit out; her jaw clenched and her nails digging into her palms.

_Ten_ years.

* * *

**A\N: **Did you like it? Next chap is gonna be a surprise! If you have the time then please do review! It'll let me in your thoughts. I'll give you a virtual chocolate bar Jason was eating ;)

If there are any grammar or spelling errors then don't hesitate to inform me. English isn't my first language so I might have done something wrong : )

To those who are waiting for Kate to go all vigilante don't worry. She'll be _breaking_ skulls soon :P Lol and to those who have asked whom she's gonna get paired with; I'm not going to answer. It's gonna be a surprise! XD I might change her love interest if some people thrive for one ;)

Sorry about the LONG Author note, hope you guys won't be mad :D

Thanks for reading, dears!


	4. Ten Years

**A\N**: Hi guys. M' back with an update. Sorry if this is late. :D If this chapter confuses you, please don't hesitate to ask. : )

FEEDBACK:

**Guest**: Yeah… I guess you can say that. I can't say anything about slash fics but I think it's up to one if they want to read something or not. Lol, I was just messing with you ;) You aren't a flamer, you're just helping people to make better OCs. Friendly advice my friend, try to be a little sweet when you do that :D Thanks for reviewing!

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* * *

**Year 2011:**

He was going to be alright. She knew he would. He wouldn't leave her would he? He couldn't. He'll never. She was living for him. Her each and every breath was for him. She'd promised him. She wouldn't break her promise no matter what happened. She would always protect her brother.

Kate looked up at the huge creamy white doors, her ocean blue eyes trying to find any signs of her younger brother. She took a deep breath, praying silently. She swung her legs, sitting on a blue bench as doctors and surgeons passed the thirteen year old blonde.

It had been one year she had been staying at the Gotham Orphanage for Girls. Her body was now covered with different bruises of different colors. If someone could see them; they would say as if a rainbow had vomited on her, leaving her with painful colored marks.

But she didn't care about herself now. Her eyes glanced at the simple calendar that hung on the side wall. The words: 25th December written on it in bold red letters. Tears brimmed in her eyes which she quickly fought back. She didn't have time to celebrate the holiday, not like this.

She could vaguely remember calling Mr. Wayne. The call was attended by someone with a lovely British accent and she could see herself back there; crying into the phone, telling the man that she needed to speak with Bruce Wayne as she had a huge emergency.

When asked what happened, she answered that her brother was having a bad fever for the past three weeks and he wasn't recovering. He was only a year old.

Thankfully, Mr. Wayne had sent them to a hospital where Blake was being treated. She remembered it. She remembered it all.

And now here she was, sitting on a bench inside the hospital, worried sick for her brother as she heard carols being sung outside in the cold snow.

Suddenly, the door opened making two boys clear in her view; boys she hadn't seen for the past _six_ months.

_It's funny_, she thought. _How people forget about you._

She cocked her head slightly, staring at them. The boy with the vibrant blue-eyes walked forward before enveloping her in a tight hug.

"How are you, Kate?" Dick smiled, pulling away from the blonde whose eyes were now puffed and nose pink from weeping.

"M' good. How're you?" Kate answered, copying his attitude but her appearance didn't go well with it.

That's when her eyes landed on the other boy who tossed her a smile. The twelve year old walked to them. "Hey, Kate. How's it going and how's Blake?" Jason inquired, smiling at the girl.

Kate frowned in response.

Jason's eyebrows rose and before he could further question her Dick butted in. "Is Blake alright?" Dick asked worriedly.

The blonde shook her head.

"What happened to him? Is he alright?" Dick's worry began to rise at Kate's quietness.

Kate gave a sigh. "He's been having a fever for at least three weeks. He's _sick_. He can't even eat anything properly." She replied.

"How long have you been here?" Jason questioned, solemnly. "About an hour I guess," Kate said.

The silent atmosphere was cracked when two rings filled it up. Kate couldn't help but be amused when Dick and Jason answered their smartphones.

Dick scratched the back of his head as he talked. "I'm so sorry Zee but I can't get to the cave right away, a friend of mine is in a problem and I need to help."

Kate's gaze then shifted to Jason who shared a quite resemblance with his elder brother. "Look Donna, I can't come. I know its Christmas but I can't… I'll make it up to you." He talked into his expensive Smartphone.

The girl watched them with interest. She began to examine them this time. Dick was slightly taller than his brother; with bright blue eyes and a charming attitude. Jason, however, was a bit rough in her point of view; with his sparking green eyes and rebellious attitude. It had been a year since her parents were killed and six months since she had known the two boys.

Her flow of thoughts was interrupted when the two ravens turned their attention to her.

"Sorry about that," Dick laughed, crouching beside her as Jason leaned against the wall, smiling.

Kate offered them a weak but sorry smile. "I'm sorry that I _ruined_ your guys Christmas."

The two gave awarded her with frowns. "It's not like _that_." Jason said, taking the seat on her left. "You're our _friend_. And friends help each other." He added, tossing a friendly smile.

The blonde smiled back.

A thought clicked her then. "Where is Bruce?" She raised an eyebrow. Dick smirked. "He's off to see Blake's doctor. He'll be here soon."

As if on cue, a man walked in from the door. His gaze landed on the two teens and twelve year old. "Hello Katherine. It's been a while." Bruce said, looking down at the blonde.

"I guess it has." She grinned slightly.

Suddenly, the two white doors opened as an old woman entered the room wearing a lab coat. Her steely grey eyes settled on them before she began. "Are you Blake Flynn's Guardian?" She inquired from Bruce.

The blue-eyed man shook his head. "No but I'm taking care of the child as for now."

Kate stood up from her seat. She cocked her head up, locking her blue eyes on the woman. "Is everything okay?" She asked, worriedly.

The doctor shook her head, frowning. "I'm really sorry to say that the patient has been diagnosed with _blood cancer_." Her voice was merely a whisper.

Dead silence spread in the room, thickening the atmosphere. The Doctor received shocked looks from all of them.

Bruce finally asked. "Are you _sure_?" He questioned, his eyebrows knitting together.

The woman nodded.

This time the silence was broken by a small cry, followed by a loud sob. Kate broke into tears, clutching her head. Jason and Dick shared shocked glances, their eyes wide as saucepans.

Bruce bit his bottom lip as the doctor continued, ignoring the weeping girl. "We're admitting him. This is the best hospital in Gotham, we'll do what we can but his health is quite critical. Blake will stay here until he can recover." She explained before walking away.

Slowly, Dick moved up to the blonde as he began to pat her shoulder. "Hey, it's gonna be alright. You heard what the doctor said; they'll cure him." He assured, trying to stop her from crying.

In return, Kate shifted in her spot, surprising him as she threw her arms around his neck, burying her head in his chest, and sobbing.

Though the blonde cringed when the blue-eyed boy wrapped his arms around her waist as his hands accidently landed on a bad bruise on her thin back, making her bite her lip. He began to console her, saying everything would be fine.

Her blue orbs looked at the calendar once again. 25th December, 2011. Her eyes narrowed;

_9 years left._

* * *

**Year 2012:**

Miss. Pricks glared at her '_student_', her eyes focused on the small body lying on the concrete floor. Placing a hand on her hip, she clicked her tongue.

"Get up ya brat. The world's gonna tear ya up if ya act like a coward." She smirked, tapping her fingers on her desk as Kate got up from the ground.

The girl looked up at the woman with determined eyes rather than watery. She had gotten tired of crying. Standing up on her scratched legs, Kate scowled before pouncing on Miss. Pricks.

The old woman stepped aside, tripping the girl before grabbing a fist full of blonde hair making the fourteen year old cry out in pain. Kate screamed as she almost fell her golden hair being ripped out from her skull.

Miss. Pricks rolled her eyes. "Ya're getting better but ya still need ta practice." The woman smirked, slamming Kate's body against the wall.

The blonde jumped back on her feet and Miss. Pricks sent her an amused look. "_Angry_ are we?" She taunted as Kate's jaw clenched.

Kate growled before throwing a punch at her. The grey-eyed woman grabbed her fist. "Good! Use that anger in your attacks." And with that the old woman twisted the blonde's arm causing another scream to erupt from her lips.

Biting her lower lip, Kate whirled around, releasing herself from Mama P's grip. As she raised her fist, a battle cry escaped her lips as she slammed it to the woman's nose.

Miss. Pricks was startled as she tumbled backwards, her wrinkle filled hands covering her bleeding nose. She looked up at the teen blonde who tossed her a grin.

A smirk played on her lips as Miss. Pricks looked down at Kate. "_Not_ bad, Blondie."

Kate gave a laugh, showing blood stained teeth before looking aside, focusing her gaze on an imaginary figure. Her expressions suddenly hardened.

_8 years left._

* * *

**Year 2013:**

Quickly, she clamped her hands on her ears, trembling. "_Please_, please stop laughing." She begged. She curled up into a ball, whimpers escaping her lips. "Please you're scaring me! Please just _stop_ laughing!" She cried out.

Her blue orbs fluttered open as she felt two small hands tug her thin yellow dress. Her eyes darted to the force and relief filled her body, only to find her younger brother.

Running a hand through her blonde hair, Kate cocked her head. "Are you alright, Blake?" She asked, scooting the three year old closer to her. Blake stared at her with chocolate brown eyes before giving a small squeak. "You were _cwying_." He said, making the 'r' a 'w'.

Kate resisted the urge to coo at the way he said it. "Yeah, I was just having a nightmare."She brushed aside some hair on his forehead. "I'm okay now. Go back to sleep," She assured him. Blake gave her a blank look before yawning and before she knew it, he was asleep.

A smile tugged her lips as she lay back down with him on the worn out mattress. A shiver ran down her spine as a picture of a red eyed clown formed in her head. She shook her head, turning to face her sleeping brother when her eyes landed on two familiar teddy bears that the three year old held.

It had been _two_ years since Dick and Jason had stopped visiting her.

Frowning, she yawned, cuddling her brother when something clicked her mind. A satisfied smirk made its way on her lips as she drifted back to sleep.

_7 years left._

* * *

**Year 2014:**

_Four_; four freaking years she had spent in the orphanage and now here she was standing infront of Bertha who was eyeing her from head to toe.

The sixteen year old wrapped her arms around herself, protectively before asking. "What is it, Bertha?"

The elder girl grinned in response. "You know that all of us have turns in this Orphanage and all of us have to do our jobs." The brunette explained.

Kate's eyebrows knitted together. The sixteen year old blonde crossed her arms over her chest, looking worried. She was currently surrounded by a group of girls who were wearing quite revealing outfits than they should be wearing at the age.

The metal music was high, high enough to make a normal person's ear drums rip and the stench of whiskey and cigarettes were strong.

The other girls giggled, probably drunken when Bertha hushed them. Her eyes traveled over Kate's body.

She had grown from the past four years; she wasn't the small twelve year old she had met; with her wavy blonde hair running down from her slim back to her hips, her sapphire blue eyes, small pink lips, the lovely dimples that kissed her cheeks and the creamy white skin.

She was _ready_ to be up for sale.

"You're gonna make us a _fortune_." Bertha laughed, cocking her hip out and grinning.

Kate arched an eyebrow.

"So… you want me to be like you? AKA a _whore_?" Kate said in that cocky voice of hers.

Bertha's grin grew even more. Even her attitude had changed from shy to _cocky_.

The brunette laughed. "You can call it _whatever_ you want but man! You are gonna get good customers."

Kate sighed. "I _refuse_." She answered.

The girls gave her a shocked look. Bertha's grin faded. "We don't want your opinion. You're bound to do what I say." She deadpanned.

Shrugging, Kate rolled her eyes. "Sorry but I refuse." She turned on her heel, walking away from them when someone gripped her shoulder tightly.

Bertha didn't look pleased. "Do as I say or I'll _beat_ the living crap out of you." She barked, digging her nails into her shoulder.

Kate smirked and before Bertha knew it, a hard kick was delivered to her stomach. A scream escaped her lips as she fell on her knees, clutching her stomach. The other girls stared at her, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

Kate huffed, propping her hands on her hips. "Does anyone else wanna '_command_' me something?" She deadpanned, tossing quizzical looks to other girl who backed away from her.

"No one? _Good_!" Kate smiled, walking away from them as she waved her hand in the air. "If anyone needs me, I'll be tucking Blake in. G'night!" She said nonchalantly, ignoring the painful cries of Bertha from behind.

_6 years left._

* * *

**Year 2015:**

Kate walked through the streets of Gotham, a small hand bag hanging from her shoulder and two small roses in her hands. She mentally smiled, happy that Miss. Pricks was pleased with her so much that she was allowed to go out for a few hours without supervision.

A frown spread on her features then; Miss. Pricks couldn't think of her to runaway. And how could she runaway? When Blake was back at the Orphanage, and Mama P knew well that Kate would never try to escape without her younger brother.

A few minutes later, she entered Gotham Cemetery, her eyes searching for a name.

After a few minutes of searching, she finally found it. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the grave. She reached out for the gravestone and soon her fingers traced the words carved into it.

She could read them clearly. A _son_, a _brother_ and a _friend_, Kate read them out before placing the two small roses on the grave. "I'm sorry he couldn't save you. But he never saves anyone." The seventeen year old sighed.

Cocking her head up, she could see the bat signal in the dark sky. Her eyes narrowed. "He can't save anyone." She growled.

Kate whipped her head back to the grave, giving a frown that turned into a sorry smile. She pulled out a small teddy bear from her bag; with a green bow tie around its neck. She looked back at the grave. The dead man's name slipped out from her mouth softly.

"Rest in _peace_, Jason Peter Todd." She whispered, tears slipping from her eyes.

_5 years left._

* * *

**Year 2016:**

He looked up at her with teary eyes, sniffing and she couldn't help but find his pink nose adorable. Six years ago, he was battling against cancer and now he was with her; _alive_. "Hey, hey, what happened?" Kate asked as the Blake sat into her lap.

"I had a _dream_." He said to her slowly.

Kate wrapped her arms around him. "So…" She said, pinching his nose.

"I dreamt we went to a place where there were chocolate trees and an ice cream lake." Blake told her smiling.

The blonde smiled. "So what's bad about _that_?"

Blake rested his head against her chest. "Then suddenly a scary clown came out of nowhere and tried to _kill_ me," He exclaimed, clawing the air with his hands.

The eighteen year old felt a sharp stab in her chest. "Go on…" She told him to continue.

"And then I woke up." He squirmed into her lap even more. "Do you think he'll come to kill us?" The six year old questioned his elder sister, fear in his voice.

The blonde bit the inside's of her cheeks before laughing. "Yeah, he'll come…" She smiled, picking him up with ease.

"_Really_?" Blake sounded scared.

Kate gently placed him back on the mattress they had been sleeping on for the past six years. "Yeah, he'll come… annnnddd…" She began to tickle him.

"He'll _tickle_ us to death." She smiled mischievously, tickling the brown haired boy who was laughing and giggling like crazy.

She brought her hands up to his face; tilting his head up to make his brown eyes meet blue. "I'll always _protect_ you, Blake. No matter if that clown tries to murder us." She assured him, her voice smooth as honey.

Blake cocked his head, grinning. "_Pinkie_ swear?" He held up his pinkie finger.

The blonde chuckled, wrapping her pinkie finger with his.

"_Pinkie_ swear."

_4 years left._

* * *

**Year 2017:**

It was so _familiar_.

The _metallic_ flavor in her mouth, it was familiar.

The teenage blonde blinked at Miss. Pricks with bloodlust features. The woman was crumpled into the side of the room, bleeding as she glared at her. The grey-eyed woman held a gun in her hand, its nose pointed towards the blue-eyed teen.

"After all I taught ya. _This_ is what ya give me?!" Miss. Pricks screamed, her chest heaving badly.

Kate shrugged. "I'm nineteen now, I can do whatever I want. And I want to _leave_." She cocked her head, placing a hand on her hip. "And I'll fight for it if you won't let me." She added, scowling.

Miss. Pricks nostrils flared up. "Ya won't leave. Ya're gonna work fa me." She spat. "Or else I'll shoot ya freaki'n brains out!" She threatened, tightening the grip on her gun.

"I made ya what ya're today! If it weren't fa me. Ya would probably be killed by now! I gave ya life!" She hissed through clenched teeth.

Anger ran through the blonde's body as she began to walk up to her. "You didn't give me _anything_. You just made my life a miserable hell hole." And in the blink of an eye, Kate snatched the gun from her hand.

"I'm gonna take my revenge. I'm gonna take all the revenges of those poor unfortunate girls." Kate barked, her eyes glaring daggers.

Her eyes changed from blue to a ruby red. "All those girls from which you took their childhood away, all those miserable souls who died in your hands," Kate's features changed, her canine's grew sharp, her hands began to dug deep into her palms, so deep that blood began to leak out of them.

Miss. Pricks screamed out for help, scooting away from the blood thirsty looking teenager. _Nobody_ was coming.

Her eyes darted to her, heart beating faster with every minute. "What? _Scared_?" Kate taunted, smiling as she took a step forward.

"Help!" Miss. Pricks screamed again. "You're a _monster_! Someone save me!" She cried out.

Kate took another step. "You know what? I'm _not_ a monster. I'm a _demon_."

She leaned down to the panting woman. "And I'm gonna take you to _hell_," She whispered softly, before grabbing the woman's wrist.

The blood curling scream seemed to be music to her ears.

_3 years left._

* * *

**Year 2018:**

Blake tightly held his sister's arm as she walked with him through the streets of Gotham. He looked up at Kate who smiled down at him. He then questionably looked at the suit case she was carrying with her.

A year had gone since Miss. Pricks had disappeared from the Orphanage due to an unknown reason. The police had looked everywhere for her and then they had found her; her dead but _ripped_ body lying in a dumpster, near the Orphanage.

When asked what had happened to her, they all had said that they didn't know and that it was a mystery but he could vaguely remember her sister's enormous grin when they had heard of her death and when he'd asked her why was she so happy, she'd answered him by telling that they were gonna go to live somewhere _else_.

He didn't mind it really, he was happy to get away from the Orphanage where all the mean girls lived but he couldn't help but pout when another woman had replaced Miss. Pricks and truth be told, she was quite the opposite of the old care taker. He even remembered when Bertha and some other girls were taken by the police and when he had inquired why they had been taken, her sister had answered that he was _too_ young to understand. _Whatever_ that meant.

Any who, they still stayed there for a year and now his sister had found a home where they were gonna live. Boy, was he _excited_!

"Whatch ya thinking, Blake?" Kate smirked as they walked into a street which he thought was called Crime Alley.

The boy shook his head. "Nothing," He answered her.

Soon, they reached a small house which wasn't in much of a good shape. The eight year old raised an eyebrow. "We're gonna live _here_?" He asked, biting his lip.

Kate looked at him over her shoulder before taking a key and opening the rusty door. "Yep." She said, popping the 'p'.

She entered the house and her brother followed suit. It was a small house with old furniture and rugs. "_How_ did you get this?" He asked her as she crouched down on the couch.

"I um… _got_ it." She said bluntly, picking up the remote and clicking on the TV. He was surprised they had cable.

He opened his mouth to question more when she turned the channel to Cartoon Network. As if magic, his eyes were glued to the screen where a blue cat was chasing a brown mouse.

"Tom and Jerry!" He cheered happily, sitting beside his sister.

Kate grinned as she got up and took the suitcase. "I'm gonna see If I can get you in a proper school." She said to the boy who wasn't paying attention to her.

A laugh left her lips when she pulled out some papers from her pocket. Taking out her lighter, she began to burn them as she walked into the kitchen. She threw Miss. Pricks's house papers (that had now burnt into ashes) into the dustbin.

"The _dead_ doesn't need a house." She mumbled, searching for something to eat.

_Two years left._

* * *

**Year 2019:**

Kate tapped her foot on the ground, counting the money she had gotten from stealing Miss. Pricks's locker and let's just say that Miss. Prick's was _really_ rich.

It was night time. Blake was fast asleep upstairs and she sat infront of the TV, making plans for the future.

A huge sigh came from her mouth as she tugged a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. The money wasn't enough; the past year had gone good but now she needed to get more. The food, Blake's school fee, the electricity bill and the medical treatment weren't going to pay themselves.

Kate leaned back into her couch, thinking. It was a good thing she'd taken private papers and that back in the Orphanage she was taught a few things other than fighting that now she was considered as an educated woman.

She turned on the TV relaxing herself when a news began to broadcast. She tossed the woman an amused look.

"This is Cat Grant in Gotham City." The blonde woman introduced herself. "I am broadcasting live from Gotham Hospital where The Joker has killed thirteen people." Cat said, turning her head to a small hospital.

"Thankfully, Batman has captured the clown and he is now being sent to Arkham Asylum." She grimaced as the camera was focused on a white faced clown.

A shiver ran down her spine at the sight of the psychopath. "_Captured_ him? That's _all_ that idiot can do." She grumbled, shifting in her spot before rubbing her temples. "Things aren't getting better, they're getting _worse_." She growled, her eyes flashing red for a moment.

She looked up at the calendar.

_1 year left._

* * *

**Year 2020:**

"Please don't hurt my Mommy," A small boy cried out to a strange man.

The man grinned as he brought the gun to his temple. "Alright, we'll kill you _first_." He and his fellows laughed as a gunshot could be heard after another.

The man looked down at the two dead bodies before exchanging smirks with his friends. "Well that was _easy_," He said, walking out from the house with a jewelry bag.

"That's right boss." The other man replied, smirking.

Suddenly, the man was kicked from behind, making him land on his face. "What the—"

The three goons turned to see a red head standing behind them.

Her fiery red hair tied in a ponytail that flowed down to her hips, she donned a scarlet red jacket with black leggings and an equally black undershirt, a tight red mini skirt that went up to her thighs and brown combat boots. Her grey eyes were covered by a red mask with black highlights and on both sides of her hips were two gun holders.

But none of them seemed to notice the _bright yellow stone_ that hung from her neck.

"Who the hell are _you_?" One of them screamed, taking out his gun. She cocked her head, not responding.

"We've asked you a question lady!" Another barked.

She separated her lips, her eyes glaring daggers. "_Bloodlust_," She clicked her tongue.

The men didn't wait as one of them shot a bullet her way; she stepped aside with speed before taking out her own gun and shooting him, right in the chest. The man gasped before collapsing on the ground, _lifeless_.

"Fred!" The other man screamed when another shot was heard and he dropped dead to the ground.

The leader stared at his partners, both lying on the cracked concrete ground; _dead_. He looked up to find the girl gone. He grabbed the bag from his dead friends' arms, trying to run when someone's fist was smacked against his nose.

Shrieking, he fell back on the ground. The girl stood infront of him, shaking her head.

He began to tremble. "P-please d-don't kill me,"

He seemed to beg. Bloodlust smiled as she grabbed his collar, yanking him up. "What about when you killed that boy? What happened then?" She questioned him, venom dripping from her words.

"I'm s-sorry. Please h-have m-mercy."

She brought out a knife, placing it on his arm.

"Will you _steal_?" She asked him.

He shook his head, quivering. He screamed when she began to slice his arm.

"Will you _murder_?" She asked, again.

He shook his head, screaming as the knife began to dig deeper.

"Will you _kill_?" She inquired as crimson blood began to pool from his arm.

"Oh No! No I WON'T! Please _stop_! Just _STOP_!" The goon began to cry, mourning as she threw him back to the ground.

Pulling out her gun, she pressed the trigger, her aim at his chest.

Her combat boots seemed to splash into the blood pooling out the men's bodies. She shrugged, taking the jewelry bag.

Cocking her head up, she could see the bat signal clearly. She gave out a growl as her eyes flashed red.

"Times _up_, Batman." She deadpanned.

* * *

**A\N**: Ooooh… I hope that made sense to you guys XD If it didn't then ask me. Basically, these are the '_small_' things that occurred when the Ten Years passed. I hope you guyz enjoyed it.

Review and tell me your thoughts. Next chap are gonna spice things up bcz of some 'bat boys' ;)


	5. Enchanted to Meet You

**A\N**: Hi guys. I'm realllllly happy everyone's enjoying this! Though I just want to say that those who are only favoriting and following, you guys should try the cute little box at the end of every chapter ;) No seriously, guys _review_! It isn't nice just to read, follow and favorite but not review! So please try to review this time!

And to those who reviewed the last chapter: Thanks a lot. You guys are truly awesome readers! Virtual candy for all of you! :D

**NOTE**: I have never ever read a comic, all my knowledge of DC comes from cartoons, movies or fan fictions… so I'm sorry if you find something wrong but I always do research when I write about characters.

One reviewer asked what timeline this is; this is '**Post Invasion'**. It's been _four_ years since the Reach encounter. And yeah I'll be doing a pairing :D So… if you want to Kate to be with someone you like then just review the name!

Soooo… sorry for the long A\N. Please forgive me.

**Alibird1**: Thanks a ton Dude! I hope you like this chapter :D

**IsaBean**: Here ya go… Hope you enjoy :3

**Pen Name Enter Here**: Here you are :-)

**HorsemanOTA**: You're reviews really make me smile! Enjoy…

**Piggythelaw**: Awww… you're making me blush! Thanks :D

**Nyxwolf**: Why thank you, dearie… Yep! I'll be doing a pairing, if you want her to be paired with someone review his name! :D Thanks… Oh and this is post Invasion.

**PainInSilence**: Yeah… he's screwed!

**Lord-of-Change**: There isn't much blood in this chapter but I hope you like it… Thanks a ton for your help. You rock!

Without any further ado, enjoy:

* * *

His fingers did a small tap dance on the crystal clear glass of the window. Cocking his head slightly, he peered outside; Gotham didn't look that bad when in morning. He sighed before passing a hand through his raven black hair, he sat on the comfy seat of his office chair, lost in thought. Dick was not feeling whelmed, he was missing a certain speedster.

Shaking his head, he threw his hands over his glass table, blue eyes staring at the small picture frame, a picture of him and his redheaded best friend. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he stared at it.

It had been four years since Wally had been lost. He missed the speedster. He missed his goofy friend. Dick leaned back against his soft seat, thinking. A small grin tugged his lips as he remembered that how many girls who he had interviewed early this morning. Each and every one of them had their own glamour, their own spark. He'd even gotten some of their phone numbers.

You see, the Romani twenty-three year old had held an interview for a secretary this morning; that being most girls. And he had really enjoyed it but sadly, none of them approved for the seat. Now, he did not need a secretary; a thing that Bruce had told him over and over but the blue-eyed young man had argued that every G.M had one so he must too and with those puppy dog eyes of his Bruce couldn't help but allow him.

He was checking his facebook when he heard a knock at his office door.

"Can I come in?" Came a feminine voice.

Dick didn't even look up from his Smartphone. "Yeah, come in." He replied.

The door slowly creaked open as a young blonde woman stepped in, her eyes landing on Dick who was busy on his Smartphone. The girl walked closer before clearing her throat to get some attention.

Tilting his head up, Dick's eyes met similar blue ones. The blonde sent him a nervous smile.

Her eyes were a deep blue and her long golden hair was tied up in a loose ponytail that went down to her hips. Her clothes consisted of a black blazer, white buttoned shirt with a black tie and simple black jeans like and for a minute he thought she was Artemis but her vibrant blue eyes didn't match the steely grey he had known his archer had.

The blonde gave a small smile. "Umm… I'm here for the interview." She said, sounding quite nervous.

Something clicked Dick's mind then; the blonde, she looked familiar as if he had known her but from where, now that he didn't remember.

"Are you going to interview me?" She asked, not liking the way he was lost in deep thought.

Dick nodded, a small smile forming on his face. "Please, have a seat." He gestured towards the maroon chair infront of his glassed table.

She obliged, sitting on it quite cautiously.

"I am so sorry for coming late. I know the interview for the job had stopped an hour earlier but I sort of got stuck—I am really, _really_ sorry." She explained, looking worried.

Dick shook his head, chuckling. "It's all _whelmed_. Don't worry I'll still take your interview." He assured, smiling when she looked relaxed.

"Now we'll start of slow. What's your name?" He asked, leaning against his chair, observing her.

The blonde gave him a smirk. "Katherine Flynn."

He knew that name but he didn't remember where he had heard it. Nodding, he asked further. "Well Katherine, can I see your CV?"

Kate handed the file filled with papers to him. Dick began to read, analyzing the information before handing it back.

Her name was Katherine Flynn, short for Kate. She was twenty-two. Parents had gotten killed when twelve (he had frowned at that). Lives in Crime Alley with younger brother. _Crime Alley_?

Dick tossed her a surprised look, not exactly believing that she lived in such a dangerous place. "You live in Crime Alley?" He inquired, flipping the pages of the folder.

"Yes," She answered, her eyebrows knitting together. "Is that _wrong_?"

"No, it's fine." Dick replied, frowning.

A lot of questions and answers were exchanged and Dick couldn't help but find that Kate had a lot of confidence; she wasn't like the other girls he'd just met, she was different and… incredibly _familiar_. She wasn't all giggly and shy, neither the way when she would smile at him looked forced (that or she was a good actor) and she seemed approving of the job.

Smiling from ear to ear, Dick handed back her CV. "It was nice to meet you, Kate." He smirked, using her nickname.

Kate gave him a worried look. "Do I get the job?" She inquired, worriedly.

The raven laughed, leaning back into his seat. "Yeah, you're hired as my personal assistant." And Dick was surprised at how she reacted.

Giving out a happy cheer, Kate jumped up from her seat, pushing her chair down, fist pumping the air as her loose pony tail scrunchie released her golden locks that bounced down on her back. "I got the _job_! I-"She quickly pressed her lips shut before looking down at her 'boss' who was staring at her incredulously.

"Ahh…" She gave him a nervous smile as she pulled her chair back before sitting on it and grinning. "Umm… sorry about _that_," She laughed, tugging a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

Dick cocked an eyebrow, smirking. "It's alright. We all get excited sometimes." Kate smiled in response.

She began to pull back her hair into a pony tail as she asked him. "When should I start?" She inquired, pulling her hair back.

Dick opened his mouth to answer before grinning. "You should keep your hair open. It looks good on you," He flashed her one of his heart fastening smiles.

In return, Kate brought her lips into a small forced smile as her teeth gritted together. Though, she tied her hair into a pony tail nonetheless, ignoring the minor frown that Dick sent her way.

The twenty-three year old continued, "You can start from tomorrow, sharp at six." He told her. "Aren't you going to sign my files?" Kate asked, leaning back in her seat.

Dick looked over the folder in her hands before smirking. "You know what? You can come to my house at two today. I'll sign your files there." He smirked, looking at her.

Kate frowned in response and he suddenly straightened in his seat. "What I mean to say is that I'm sort of really tired out by now, so you can come to Wayne Manor." He cleared her thoughts.

"And I can tell you that a friend of mine makes really good cookies." He added, chuckling slightly.

Kate nodded, grinning. After a small conversation she got up to leave. "Thanks a lot Mr. Grayson. I _really_ needed this job." She tossed him a friendly smile, extending her arm for a hand shake.

Dick gave her a puzzled look before taking her hand and shaking it. "Please, call me Dick."

The blonde blinked at him.

Dick colored before laughing. "It's my nickname. The real name's Richard," He scratched his chin, smiling.

Kate laughed, understanding him. She walked up to the door, clutching the door knob. She looked over the raven sitting behind the table, his eyes locked on her.

"It was enchanting to meet you, Mr. Grayson." Kate gave the ebony a smile who happily returned it.

"It was enchanting to meet you too. Have a good day." Dick chuckled, giving his hand a wave. Kate gave a nod before closing the door behind her.

As she walked out of the building, she couldn't help but grin. She'd just gotten a job, a job in Wayne Industry, a job as the assistant of a young man whose Father was the richest man in whole Gotham.

Blake was gonna be so happy!

Grinning like the Cheshire cat, Kate looked over a shop's window that gave her reflection. She stared at herself. She remembered the tall young female in the glass as a small orphaned child. Her hair wasn't so long back then nor her eyes held a sparkle when she in her past. She had changed but Kate believed that only her looks had changed. The fire inside her remained; the fire of revenge, hurt and anger always burnt inside her.

The grin on her face faded into a deep frown at the thought. That's when she felt something near her feet and her frown darkened into a scowl.

It was a small poster, a poster of Batman, the words '_Gotham's Hero_' written on it in bold letters.

A low growl came from her throat as she stamped her heeled shoe on it. He was the reason, he wasn't enough, his ways were wrong... what she did was _right_, Kate thought to herself, scowling deeply.

"Lame excuse for a hero," The blonde mumbled as she continued her way home.

* * *

She could feel her eyes widen as saucepans as her grip tightened on the small blue bag she was holding. Kate stared at Wayne Manor in awe. It was _huge_!

The blonde seemed to stare at it for a few seconds before snapping herself back to reality. She did a quick glance at herself, looking over her bright pink off shoulder tunic and her skinny white jeans before walking through the enormous golden gate.

Adjusting her open hair, she pressed her finger against the door bell, mentally telling herself not to screw this up. A few seconds passed when the double doors opened, revealing an old man with silver grey hair in a butler's costume.

He arched an eyebrow. "Can I help you, miss?" He inquired in a fluent British accent.

Kate bit her tongue nervously before answering. "Yeah, um… Mr. Grayson invited me. It's a business thing."

The butler nodded, studying her. "What is your name?"

"Katherine Flynn. I'm sort of Mr. Grayson's secretary. Just joined this morning."

The brown-eyed man gave her another nod. "I'm sorry to say Miss. Katherine but Master Richard has gone somewhere with his friends." He told her.

The blue-eyed girl frowned. "It's okay. I'll see him later." She cocked her head, turning on her heel when the butler asked her to stop.

She gave him a confused look. Alfred however, continued. "Master Richard will be back soon. Do not leave." He opened the door wider. "Please, come in. It isn't nice to make a lady wait on a doorstep." He gestured her inside.

Smiling slightly, Kate began to follow the butler through the enormous hall. The blonde stared at everything in awe. It didn't look like a house; it looked more like a palace to her.

Her train of thoughts was stopped when Alfred looked over her and spoke. "You should wait here, Miss Katherine until Master Richard comes." Kate looked around just to find that they were in a living room.

She sat on the nice and soft sofa when the man whose name she believed was 'Alfred' told her. "Now Miss, would you care to have some tea?" He inquired, looking down at her.

Kate raised an eyebrow before nodding. "Sure, if it doesn't trouble you." She smiled.

Alfred turned on his heel, walking away to the kitchen.

Having nothing to do now, Kate began to observe her surroundings and she couldn't help but think that how filthy rich these people were. A few minutes had passed when a loud thud came from behind the sofa. The blonde at once whipped her head to the source and she was surprised to see two boys trying to pin each other on the floor.

"Get off of me, Drake!" The younger one yelled, trying to pry away the elder ebony.

"Give me my iPod back!" The elder one hissed, angrily. "It's _mine_!" The younger shouted, pushing him off. "Don't lie, Demon! You and me both know you just broke yours!" Came the other's reply.

Kate blinked at the too. The elder one was a dark black haired teen with bright blue eyes while the other was a small kid probably eleven or ten with the same appearance but with darker blue eyes.

She cocked an eyebrow, looking amused.

"That is mine! Get your filthy hands off of me," The younger hissed, finally getting up on his feet. "You stole it!" The teenager cried, pouncing on the boy.

The ten year old dodged him swiftly. "_Tt_. That all you got, Drake?" He snorted and his eyes met Kate then who was looking quite impressed by the 'show'.

"Who are you?" The small boy demanded, pointing his index finger at her and Kate raised an eyebrow.

The other boy got up, sending death glares at the younger one. "What are you takling ab—" And he saw Kate then.

Eyebrows knitting, together he walked up to her. "Um… hello but who are you and what're you doing here?" He asked sternly.

Kate cocked her head before introducing herself and the reason why was she here. She was awarded by amused looks.

"Why does Grayson need a secretary? I also want to have one as well!" The younger boy scoffed angrily.

The other ignored him as he raised his hand for a handshake. "Hi! I'm Tim and this little demo—I mean boy here is Damian, my brother." Tim smiled as Kate shook his hand.

"You two are _brothers_?" Kate inquired, smirking. Damian gave a sigh, "_Unfortunately_." Tim rolled his eyes before snatching his iPod from Damian's hands.

Damian sent him a death glare. "Give it back, Drake." He hissed, tackling the elder boy to the ground and once again the fight started. Kate got up from her seat.

"Where's the bathroom?" She asked the two boys currently rolling on the floor. "Take the upstairs one. To your left then right." Tim replied, not taking his eyes off the demon spawn.

Kate shrugged, taking the stairs and walking up.

I am _not_ lost, I am _not_ lost, Kate kept thinking to herself as she tried to find a restroom. "Okay, I'm _lost_." She sighed, frowning. She began opening doors, trying to find the bathroom.

"Nope, not this one." She said, closing a door. "Not this one either," She slammed a door shut again.

"How many rooms do these people have?!" She gave out a huff as she walked to another door.

Turning the door knob, she opened it and she was met by darkness. She raced her hands over the side wall, searching for a light switch. With a slight sound of a click, the room was filled with the white lights of the fluorescent tubes.

She quirked an eyebrow at the scene infront of her. Clothes were _everywhere_, T-shirts, jackets, pants, shorts, trousers and even empty pizza boxes and more smelly clothes. Disgusted by the room's appearance, the blonde turned around but quickly stopped and looked back at what she saw.

On the dressing table, lay two silver barrels*, glinting because of the light falling on them.

Kate bit her bottom lip as she skipped over the dirty clothes to the dressing table, her eyes sparkling in awe. Gently, she picked the gun up, her gaze sweeping over it. Her fingers raced over the cold silver surface, making her lips stretch into a smirk. This gun was not ordinary, it was not available for civilians.

She brought the nozzle of the gun closer to her nose, sniffing and mentally saying that it was being used and that it wasn't for decoration. She even smelt _kryptonite_. The gun was laced with Kryptonite. She didn't know why it was; unless, they were gonna use this against Superman, she rolled her eyes at the thought.

The blonde looked into the mirror as she made a pose with the weapon in her hand and her smirk grew. She really needed this.

That's when she heard someone clear their throat making her startle. Whirling around, her eyes met something she was not expecting.

Leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed over his bare chest, stood a young man, his emerald eyes glaring daggers at her but she didn't notice that. Her eyes were too occupied as they scanned his bare chest, tracing and counting the number of muscles and abs. The only thing he wore was a pair of ripped blue jeans, a towel that hung from his neck and his black hair was damp. It wasn't hard to tell that he had taken a shower or had simply gone swimming.

Kate's cheeks flared up at his appearance and she felt the temperature rise around her. And her face flushed even more when she felt his blue green eyes wander over her body and stop at her chest for a second.

"Who are you?" He questioned her, not looking pleased. She opened her mouth to answer when he cut her off. "And what the hell are you doing in my room?!" He demanded, glaring at her.

She narrowed her eyes at his behavior. "I was looking for the bathroom," She tried to explain. "Oh really?" The ebony gave an unamused look. He walked into the room and looked around. "Well, I don't see a toilet anywhere." He growled.

Kate chewed her bottom lip, her gaze changing into a glare as well. "I was lost, I was trying to find one." She snapped.

"How can't I tell that you weren't trying to steal anything?" He challenged, taking a step forward. Kate's glare hardened as her grip tightened on the gun. "I am not a thief!" She yelled, offended.

In return, the black haired young man began to walk closer, a smirk plastered on his face which made the blonde's muscles tense up. Kate bit the insides of her cheeks, standing her ground.

He stopped on a step closer to her and the blue eyed girl could see he was taller than her. Her heart began to beat against her ribs as her jaw clenched. She looked into those apple green eyes before readying herself to attack when a quite familiar voice came.

"Hey Jay, have you seen my—" Dick stared at the blonde.

"Kate? What're you doing here?" He asked, grinning like a madman as he walked up to her.

The girl frowned. "You sort of invited me, Mr. Grayson." She said dryly.

Dick slapped the side of his forehead. "I am so sorry, I forgot. I hope you didn't have to wait too long." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

Kate resisted the urge to scowl but she smiled instead. "It's alright, I understand."

"How did you get to Jay's room anyway?" Dick asked with a laugh.

"I was looking for the bathroom and _accidentally_ ended up here." She answered, giving a glare at the ebony standing next to her.

The ebony standing closer to her gave them both puzzled looks. "Dick, you know her?" He asked the blue eyed boy who nodded, grinning.

"Yeah, she's my secretary." Dick laughed, smacking the younger's am who sent him a dumb look. "What the hell do you need a secretary for?" He growled, glaring at him.

Kate sent the two amused looks. "Umm… is he your _friend_?" She inquired, tossing him a huge smile. Dick returned it.

He stood between the two who were having a glaring contest. "Kate meet my brother; Jason. Jason this is my personal assistant; Kate." He grinned, propping his hands on his hips.

The two, however, continued to glare at each other until Kate forced a grin. "It was enchanting to meet you, Jason." She said, pulling her hand out for him to shake.

Jason cocked his head, glare not even softening a bit. "Yeah, enchanted to meet you as well." He answered, harshly as he shook her hand before giving it a slight squeeze. "And that's _Mr_. Todd to you," He smirked as her face twisted into a scowl.

"Sure thing, Todd." She replied, smirking playfully and this time he scowled.

Dick grinned at both of them before wrapping an arm around Kate's shoulders. "Come on, Alfred's made his awesoe cookies." But the blonde pulled away.

"Sorry Mr. Grayson but I need to head home now," She answered, sending an apologetic smile. The Romani frowned. "You should at least have lunch," He insisted but the girl walked to the door frame, skipping over the bundles of smelly clothes.

"It's all good, I'll join from tomorrow." Kate said as she spun on her heel. "Good bye Mr. Grayson and Todd." She waved her hand.

Though, she stopped when Jason approached her, smirking. She cocked her head up. "Something _wrong_?" She gave a low growl.

And in return Jason extended his arm, opening his hand. "My _gun_," He smirked, pointing at the shot gun in her hands. Kate sent him a confused look before looking at her hand and biting her lower lip.

She was still holding the damn but beautiful weapon.

She tossed it to him, earning a grin as a response before spinning on her heel and walking downstairs, ignoring the old butler who was placing tea and other items on the table.

Jason rolled his green orbs before flipping the gun in the air, grabbing it and walking into his room. Dick however stood there confused at his brother's and assistant's actions.

Did he miss something?

* * *

"Who the hell does he think _he_ is?" Kate grumbled as she walked through the streets of Crime Alley. In the next second, she flicked open her cell phone before entering a number.

"Hey, Blake. I'm heading home." She said, the phone pressed on her ear. "Can you get pizza on the way back?" Came a small voice on the other line.

Kate sighed. "Sorry Blake but I don't have any money on me right now,"

The ten year old pouted, "But I don't wanna have oat meal."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Oat meals good for you, Blake. It's healthy for growing children." She tried to tell him. "It's not good if you eat it _every_ day!" Blake said dryly on the other side.

The blonde shook her head, smirking. "I'll be there. Don't open the door for anyone." And with that she ended the call.

_Stupid_ rich people. Idiots can have _everything_ they want.

The blonde scoffed when a piercing scream filled the atmosphere but it didn't seemed to scare her. Sighing, she walked along and that's when she found the source.

On the empty pathway, stood a man with greasy black hair and in his hands was a sharp knife, blood all over it. It didn't take long for her to see a body of an old man lying on the ground, blood spots tattered on his clothes. There also stood an old woman, who was crying for mercy.

Growling, Kate walked forward, without making the slightest sound.

"Give me the bag!" The goon barked, trying to snatch the purse from the woman. "You killed my husband! _Murderer_! _Murderer_!" The old woman cried, screaming.

The man snatched the bag from her, licking his lips like a hungry wolf when he felt someone tap his shoulders. When he whirled around, he was awarded by a hard punch to the face causing him to fall on his back.

Kate slapped the knife away from his hands before slamming her high heeled shoe in to his groin making him scream in pain. Before the goon knew it, a gun was pointed towards him.

He looked up at her with fear filled eyes, biting back the screams that wanted to erupt from his mouth. "Let's see… we've got ourselves a new killer, haven't we?" Kate smirked, her sapphire blue eyes flashing red for a brief second.

"So tell me, what do you say when you do something _wrong_?" She inquired, smiling slyly.

The goon quivered in response. Kate sighed before glaring. "What the hell do you say when you do something wrong?" She barked this time.

He looked over the gun then back at her before answering, "S-ssorry…" He stuttered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "I can't hear you," Kate sang, pressing the nozzle of the gun to his lips.

"Sorry," He replied.

And this time, she pushed the gun into his mouth, making him taste the metal and gun powder. "Say it _again_," She deadpanned.

"Shorry…" He choked out, tears slipping down his dirty cheeks as his voice was muffled.

Kate nodded before clicking the trigger. A gunshot filled the air as the man fell back on the ground, blood erupting from the back of his throat like a flood.

"Yeah, that's what you say," Kate smiled, pulling back her gun. She grabbed the bag from him before tossing it to the old woman whose eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

"Here ya go, Ma'am." She said with a shrug. The woman grabbed her bag before running away, screaming.

The blonde sighed before glancing at the dead body, blood pooling out from it. She knelt down to him, checking his pockets and she couldn't help but grin when she found 45$ and a silver laced wrist watch.

Clicking her cell phone open, she laughed. "Hey Blake! Guess _what_? I'm bringing pizza!"

And a chuckle escaped her lips when she heard a huge happy cry from the other side of the phone.

Kate looked over at Gotham and for some reason she felt convinced with herself.

* * *

**A\N:** Did you guys like it? I enjoyed writing it :D

In the next chap: Bloodlust is gonna get a bigger spotlight than Kate!

If you've got the time then please do review!


	6. Meeting the Red Bat

**A\N**: I cannot believe I'm freaking writing this again! My brother, re-installed this without telling me and now, I have to write ALL of the previous chapter and I'm tryi'n my best not to hand him over to the Amazons who'll torture him to death!

Yeah, I'm purr-ety pissed! Thanks a ton to those who reviewed :D I always smile broadly cause of you guys, the major headache I'm having just smoothed down :D

One more thing; this fic is rated T for a reason. There might be slight references to _High_ T cause come on! These are Bruce Wayne's sons we're talki'n about! XD

Thanks guys! I'm writing this while listening to Irresistible by One Direction and wow, it is good :) Now enough of my ranting and other stuff.

**FEEDBACK TIME:**

**Animegal1357**: Lol, yeah… how can't they recognize her! But hey, they've met after nine years and I think things skip your mind sometimes like me who doesn't even remember what I had in lunch yesterday!

**CrazyAuthorChick**: Well a lot of people had asked me that so I recommend you watch; Batman: Under The Red Hood asap ;P You see, Jason Todd was the second Robin killed by the Joker but he then he re-born because of the League of shadows… Thanks for reviewing. (Oh and sorry if this makes little sense to you!)

**HorsemanOTA**: So you want her to be with Jaybird? Sure thing! Thanks for reviewing and voting. Keep smiling!

**Nyxwolf**: Thank you, dearie! Yeah, Jason died but he's alive again because of the Lazarus pit. Please see; Batman: Under The Red Hood… :D

**Piggythelaw**: _I said a wait, wait… I feel my heart change… whenever you come around… the earth shakes; it's more than I can take… I think my feet just left the ground!_ XD You're reviews make me smile so much, my face and lips begins to hurt sometimes! Thank you! Hmm… I've never liked oatmeal that much but I'll try using honey this time :3 Thanks again! Yeah, Dick and Jason… Mhmmm… ;) [P.S Sorry if the first part of my reply doesn't make sense]

**IsaBean**: Yeah, it's gonna be Dick or Jason… or a triangle! I like the triangle idea ;) Yup, Blake's alright! Thanks for reviewing :D

Goofy Smart and Blonde-P: Thank you…! Here's a new chap, dear.

**Lord-Of-Change**: I have no idea why I have this stupid smile on my face when I read your reviews, I like it though! I love your reviews but you keep asking for spoilers! *Pouts* Not fair! Please, please don't use the word 'flawless' I really hate that word! DX Once again, thanks for the fantastic ideas. Keep smiling :)

**PainInSilence**: Thaaaaaank you for reviewing! Have acookie (::)

**DEATHLIGHTMK2**: Thanks a ton for reviewing! Hmmm… *Wink wink… hint hint*

**DISCALIMER**: If you guys would remember, in the first chap that is 'The Beginning of the End' I have clearly stated that I will not write a disclaimer in any of the other chapters but I'm still writing this one. *sighs* I, PrettyKitty also referred as PK don't own YJ, the song I used in piggythelaw's reply (it belongs to Talking Angela btw) and the blood ideas (which are giving to me by Lord-Of-Change. He's an awesome guy, check out his stories). I only own my boring OC and her little boring brother. :(

* * *

The blonde ignored the small hands that pushed her back and the small voice that hadn't gone through puberty yet telling her to get up and anyway, Kate did not want to ruin her beauty sleep. Okay, maybe she had a tough patrol last night and she just wanted to sleep; something Blake didn't know about.

"Kate..." Blake said, trying to wake up the blonde."Get _up_,"

Pulling the green bow tied teddy bear to her chest, Kate shifted to her other side making the brown-haired boy frown.

"Kate!"

Blake glanced at the broken alarm clock on his sister's side, sighing. "I'm gonna be late for _school_," He whined, shaking her arm.

Kate finally, stirred.

"You can _stay_ home," Kate muttered loud enough for him to hear as she snuggled into the warm mattress. Blake sighed, "You're gonna be late for work!" He reminded her.

The blue-eyed girl pushed herself up pathetically, looking at her younger brother when a warm smile made its way to her lips. She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

Looking at him as if he was the most beautiful creature on earth, Kate said, "You look so _cute_ with your hair ruffled and D in your arms," She cooed, smiling.

Blake rolled his eyes in response before taking the teddy bear from his sister. "You are _really_ gonna be late," He grimaced.

Kate tossed him a smirk as she sprinted out from bed and made her way to the bathroom, stretching and yawning.

Blake sent her a glance before placing the two teddies infront of him, sighing. "I have no idea if she even sleeps at night,"

He propped his elbows on his lap as he placed his chin in his hands, staring at them. "What do you guys thinks she even does?" He turned to the blue bow tied teddy bear.

"What do you think D?" He asked before looking at the green bow tied teddy bear. "And you J?"

He was awarded by silence.

Suddenly, Blake frowned, "Guys, I don't think she's _Wonder Girl_,"

The ten year old cocked his head at them.

"I know she's a _blonde_ but still!" He cried out.

* * *

Walking into the kitchen, Blake shared a smile with his sister who was busy in cooking breakfast. The brown-haired boy took his seat near the kitchen table as toast and a warm cup of milk was placed infront of him.

Blake frowned, "Can't we have pancakes?"

Kate looked at him from over her shoulder, "Is today Sunday?" She raised a blonde eyebrow.

"No," Blake mumbled, blowing air out of his mouth. Kate sent him a smile as she turned her attention back in making herself some coffee.

The ten-year old glared at the plate infront of him, "I'm starting to hate this food we call bread that I have to eat _every_ day." He jabbed the slice of bread with a fork.

Kate gave a laugh, "I feel your _pain_,"

As Blake slowly consumed his breakfast, he cocked his head up, his chocolate brown eyes focusing on Kate who seemed to be humming a song.

"Say Sis," He began, taking a bite of bread.

"Hmm…" Came her voice.

"How'd your interview went?"

Kate frowned slightly before searching for a cup. "It was good," She answered, opening the front cabinet and peeking in.

Swallowing the bite, Blake inquired, "How was Wayne Manor?"

"Aha!" Kate smiled as she found a clean cup before placing in on the shelf. "Pretty sweet," She said, taking the lid of the pot on the stove only to find the water boiling.

"Did they _recognize_ you?" Blake further questioned.

Kate gritted her teeth together as she ran a hand through her golden hair, "No, they didn't." She frowned. "And I hope they don't." She added grimly as she took a spoon out.

Blake cocked his head, "Aren't you gonna tell them?" He inquired from her.

The blonde shook her head. "I'll tell them when it's _necessary_," Kate answered as she threw in some sugar before sighing, "It's not like they even remember me or anything."

The brown eyed boy remained silent before asking, "Didn't Dick recognize you?"

"Nope,"

A frown graced her features as the pot steamed up. "I also met Jason," She said sadly, pouring the boiling liquid into her cup.

Blake's eyes widened at that, "Jason? That guy you liked? Didn't he _die_ five years ago?" He exclaimed.

Raising an eyebrow, Kate sent him an amused look. "I _don't_ like him, Blake." Kate snorted as she pondered on the second part of his question.

The younger boy sent her a cheeky grin, "Then how come you sleep with J?" He questioned, snickering.

Kate rolled her eyes. "You sleep with D, do you hear _me_ implying something?" She inquired, a smirk on her lips as her brother tossed her an uneasy look.

The blonde blew at her steaming cup of morning coffee before taking a quite large sip. Blake sent her an incredulous look, already knowing her answer.

"Doesn't that burn your tongue?"

The blue-eyed woman gave a shrug. "No. Temperature sort of doesn't have effect on me." She took another gulp of coffee.

Blake narrowed his eyes at his sister, "Hey Sis,"

Kate looked up at him, blue eyes meeting brown.

"You sure you're not Wonder Girl?"

And the blonde couldn't help but frown.

* * *

He was sure, _really_ sure. Blake was sure his sister was Wonder Girl. He meant come on! That would explain why she wasn't at night sometimes, knew all those flips, could do gymnastics, the hot or cold weather didn't bother her and not to mention that boiling or sizzling food didn't seem to burn her tongue. Okay, maybe scratch the _last_ part but he couldn't help but find it cool to have sister who was a superhero.

"What're you thinking about?" Kate smiled down at him, giving his hand a squeeze.

Blake narrowed his eyes, staring at her. "Nothing,"

Kate sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "For the last time, Blake. I am _not_ Wonder Girl!" She snapped, glaring at her brother.

Blake scratched his chin, "Aren't you gonna do that flip thing-y?" He inquired, changing the topic.

"No Blake, you're gonna be late and…" She got interrupted as two adorable brown eyes looked up at her and she felt her heart melt.

The blonde rolled her eyes as she tightened the grip on the bag she was carrying. Giving her feet a slight push, she did a handstand on the ground before jumping over a green dumpster and sprinting up high enough to grab the pole that was on the road and without even panting, she swung in and out before flipping down infront of her brother who was grinning like a madman.

"That was so _awesome_!" Blake cheered, fist pumping the air. Kate smiled at him as she reached down and ruffled his hair.

"Mama P taught you that, didn't she?" Blake smirked as Kate's features hardened. "_What_ did I tell you about saying her name?" The blonde growled.

Blake bit his lip. "Sorry," He at once apologized, looking up the young woman.

Kate sighed as she began to walk, "Just be careful next time." Blake smiled at her, walking along the pathway.

However, Kate's face twisted into a scowl as she gritted her teeth together, the memory of the woman who taught her what she was now in her mind.

* * *

"Are you listening to me, Jaybird?" Nightwing's voice echoed from his com-link making the former Robin groan.

"Of course! I can hear you, idiot!" The Red Hood growled as he grappled to the other building.

Landing on the roof with grace, he pressed a finger against his communicator, "We're not allowed to call each other's names when on patrol," Red Hood reminded the elder ebony who gave a chuckle in response.

"I know you like being called that Blue Jay," The blue bird laughed as the red helmeted man rolled his eyes. "Shut up!"

He hissed as he began to skip over the buildings, trying to find some crime or anything that might get him busy. Nightwing shook his head on the other side.

"Work was great today! I didn't get bored this time," And Red Hood could literally see Nightwing grinning on the other side. "You don't say? What _happened_?" He said in his most pathetic and 'I-don't-care' voice.

The acrobat answered him, "Me and Kate had a long talk about superheroes. She _hates_ Batman! I mean come on, who _hates_ Batman?" Nightwing smirked and the second former Robin nearly lost his balance.

"Kate?" Red Hood said the girl's name like a question. "Yeah, the blonde who came to our house yesterday." Nightwing replied as his younger brother scowled remembering her.

Quirking an eyebrow, Nightwing continued. "You're still not mad about the room thing, are you?"

The red bat frowned slightly as he blew air out from his mouth. "Yeah, I remember her." He said. "She tried to steal my gun," He added as Nightwing sighed.

"She _didn't _try to steal your gun, Jay."

"How do you even know? You _weren't _even there!"

"She _talked_ to me about it,"

"So now you're gonna listen to some unknown chick instead of your brother?"

Silence followed before he replied, "Are you _jealous_?" Came a smug reply from the com-link.

Red Hood resisted the urge to face palm. "Why the hell would I be jealous?!" He questioned angrily.

Before the blue-eyed man could answer Red Hood beat him to it. "Say, don't you get the feeling that we'd met her before?" He asked him and Nightwing couldn't help but to agree.

All of a sudden, a bang of a gunshot roared through the air making Red Hood scowl. "Talk to you later," With that he ended the conversation.

The vigilante pulled out a grappling gun before shooting it and swinging himself to the other side. After a few minutes of running, he found something he wasn't expecting.

About eight to seven men lay on the concrete floor, the blood spilling from their bodies forming a bright red carpet over it. He sent them an unamused look before looking up and his eyes landed on a figure, he couldn't believe what he saw.

She was a girl, seeming to be in her early twenties with a scarlet red pony tail that flowed down to her hips, she donned a black shirt with matching tight leggings over which she wore a short red skirt, two gun holsters strapped to the either sides of her hips with a crimson red jacket.

Though, the thing that caught his attention was the metal baseball bat she held in her hand, its end tinted brown as a familiar thick red liquid dripped from it.

She swung the baseball bat high before slamming it down to the man's head. An audible crack with a high pitched scream of mercy made sure that the soul had left the human body, leaving a corpse in its wake.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He yelled out to her, hands moving to his gun holders.

The red head turned around and the Red Hood was met by silver grey eyes.

He narrowed his eyes, catching a glimpse of the small golden stone that hung from her neck.

Aiming his guns at her, he growled, "_Who_ are you?" He demanded.

In return, the girl allowed her eyes to sweep over his body for a second when a grin spread across her lips. "Hey," She said casually as if they were meeting in a park.

"Lem'me guess," She smiled, propping her hands on her hips."Red Hood?" His name slipped from her tongue softly yet venomously.

The red helmeted vigilante lowered his guns, seeing that she didn't seem to go on battle mode. "I asked you something," Red Hood said sternly, fixing his eyes on her.

She grinned before giving a small bow as if she was about to perform a circus act. "Bloodlust," She smirked, placing her hands on her hips again.

Red Hood tossed her an unamused look. "I don't think pretty girls should have names like _that_."

In response, Bloodlust laughed.

"Flattery will get you _nowhere_," The female giggled, winking as she kicked something on the ground which landed infront of him.

And Jason didn't exactly feel whelmed when he found out that it was a _heart_, freshly ripped from one of the men's bodies. He could easily tell it as the organ was _beating_ slightly.

"You can take it if you want," The red head smirked.

She tugged a strand of loose hair behind her ear as she glanced at the blood pooled ground she was standing on. She looked over the dead bodies once more before throwing the baseball bat at him which he caught easily.

Bloodlust sent him a smile as she spun on her heel, "Mind _cleani'n _this up for me, sweetheart?" She waved her arm as she began to walk away.

That's when she felt someone grab her wrist tightly causing her to whip her head and all she saw was a red helmet.

"You're coming with me!" Red Hood grimaced, pulling her with him.

"Sorry, I don't _come_ for anyone," She gave him a toothy smile. "But I may manage it for _you._" She winked, grinning like a madman.

Raising an eyebrow at her confidence, Red Hood smirked slightly. _Another_ Catwoman on our hands…

He began to pull her away when she broke free from his grasp, scowling. "I have nothing against you Hood, you should mind your own business." She grimaced, narrowing her grey at him.

The second former Robin smirked. "Sorry toots but Gotham's Batman's city and he—" She cut him off.

"What idiot told you it's _his_ city?!" Bloodlust snapped, anger rushing through her. "He can't even save anyone! I'm the one cleaning up this hellhole!" She barked and for a moment he could see the same anger in her eyes he once had.

Giving out a sigh, he walked towards her, skipping over the lifeless bodies. "Look, we'll help you out. You—"A curse vomited from his mouth as the female vigilante slammed her knee in his gut.

"Stay _out_ of my way," Bloodlust deadpanned.

She spun on her heel, ready to leave when she was harshly pushed back by her shoulder. Even with the helmet on, Bloodlust could see Red Hood's eyes glare daggers at her.

Parting his lips, he warned her, "You do _not_ want me to hurt you," He hissed as his hand clenched into a fist.

Bloodlust narrowed her eyes before throwing a punch his way. Red Hood dodged it quite easily. Cursing, she began to throw a shower of kicks and punches at him. However, he easily dodged them with a large smirk plastered on his face.

He tightly grabbed her wrists as he pulled her closer, "Man, aren't you a _rookie_?" He chuckled as she tried to free herself.

Biting her bottom lip, she twisted around, releasing herself before starting to run. It was a fight she knew she couldn't win. She sprinted over the corner, pulling out what seemed to be an old grappling gun when a fist collided with her face causing her to fall back.

Bloodlust cocked her head up only to find a gun pointed at her forehead with a man wearing a red helmet and soon a scowl graced her features.

Red Hood tilted his head, smirking. "I guess I _won_," He teased and she couldn't help but growl.

* * *

Jason Todd had met a _lot_ of strange people in his life but this was a case he didn't enjoy. He had no idea who she was but he was quite impressed by the number of men she'd killed single handedly. But there were two things he found very disturbing.

_One_; he didn't like it how brutally she'd killed the men with their organs sticking out and their heads blown open. Some marks that he had analyzed were not made by a knife or gun rather they'd seemed to be made by nails and teeth with the burn marks made by fire but not your average fire. Some other kind he presumed.

_Second_; she was a girl! (It wasn't like girls couldn't do things but) girls were supposed to be the nice and kind hearted human beings. Maybe if he counted Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, no but still he had his opinions. He shook his head. He needed to give Babs twenty-bucks because of the bet they'd made that girls hardly killed.

"Let go of me!" Bloodlust demanded, struggling to free herself, slightly kicking her knee in his chest in the attempt.

The Red Hood rolled his eyes beneath the mask, not paying attention to the young woman he was carrying over his shoulder. "Shut up!" He snapped before he was again jabbed in the chest with her knee.

"Stop fidgeting!"

"Put me down!" She hissed, getting herself a headache because of the moving ground.

Another _jab_.

"I'll rip you into shreds—"

_Jab_.

"Feed you to the hyenas—"

_Jab_.

"Then carve your out heart with a knife—"

_Jab_.

"**Put. Me. Down**!"

Gritting his teeth in anger, Red Hood roughly placed her down on the stony surface, giving her a murderous glare. "I should've _gagged_ you," He mused as he eyed her menacingly.

Bloodlust glared back as she tried to open the rope that was tied around her hands and legs. She blew air from the side of her mouth, locking her eyes with him. "_Untie_ me!" She cried out but the red bat clearly ignored her.

Taking a few steps away, the former boy wonder pressed a finger on his com-link. Bloodlust's ears perked up as she tried to listen to him but he was talking so slowly and softly she couldn't hear him. Red Hood crossed his arms over his chest as he glared down at her.

"You're gonna be sent to Arkhum," He told her.

Bloodlust snorted, "Keep on _dreaming_," She snapped as she tried to break the rope. "What's this thing made of?" She muttered under her breath as she tried to reach the sharp bladed knife hidden under her blouse but she couldn't.

_Great_!

She snapped her head at the helmeted man who was staring at her, arms crossed over his chest. She needed time.

"So…" Bloodlust began, looking around as she tried to break free. "Aren't you going to ask me questions?" She inquired from him.

Red Hood raised an eyebrow. "No," He stated simply, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Bloodlust narrowed her eyes. "Do you work for Batman?" She asked him.

"That's _none_ of your damn business." He growled.

She felt her jaw clench and had a sudden urge to stab him with a knife that's when her eyes fell on the sharp blade peeking out from his pocket.

She needed distraction, _fast_ that is.

"Hey, Hood." Bloodlust grinned as she shifted towards him. He sent her a quizzical look, telling her to continue.

"Are you _single_?" She blurted out in the sweetest voice she could copy. Red Hood narrowed her eyes at her and even with the mask on, she could feel him smirk.

However, he gave a laugh. "Nah, I like brunettes more than red heads," He grinned before thinking about his brother. "Though, I do know someone who likes red heads," He added, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Bloodlust frowned slightly before piping up, "How about blondes?" She questioned him and as a reply he simply shrugged.

A sigh escaped her lips as she continued, "So you're just gonna stand there until your 'friends' come and put me in jail?" She asked, frowning.

He nodded.

That's when she saw a packet of cigarettes dangling from the pocket of his red jacket. Another idea popped up in her mind. "Can I have one?" She inquired from him.

Red Hood arched an eyebrow causing her to sigh. "Can I have a cigarette if you don't mind?" She cleared it out for him. The masked vigilante pulled the expensive packet of cigarettes he had bought while avoiding the gaze of Alfred.

"You _smoke_?" He asked, blinking.

Bloodlust rolled her eyes, "Of course, I don't smoke. I'm just asking you cause I wanna apply it as a _lipstick."_ She sneered, sarcasm lacing her words.

Ignoring her comment, Red Hood took out the golden packet along with the knife that her eyes had been locked on. He walked up to her, the dagger held in his hand.

"Don't try something _funny_ with me," He warned as he approached her. The red head batted her eye lashes at him, "I wanna try a _lot_ of things with you," She purred, looking at him with half lidded silver eyes.

Smirking, he knelt down to her as he placed the cigarette between her lips before lightening it up. Bloodlust narrowed her eyes when she flipped back, taking him off guard as her heeled combat boots collided with his lower jaw, sending him flying to the other side.

She landed on her feet as she grabbed the falling knife with her fingers and sliced the rope open, freeing herself. A smirk dancing on her lips, she pulled out a gun as she walked towards him.

Red Hood lay on the ground knowing full well if the helmet wasn't there to protect him, his jaw might've gotten broken but the pain was still awful. And he was not expecting the hard kick which was delivered to his chest. A howl of curses escaped his throat as he pressed both of his hands to his bruised chest.

Bloodlust grinned, flipping the gun when it landed back in her palm. She brought the nozzle up to his chest, a cruel smile over her face.

"I would've kissed you good night but…" She trailed off, winking seductively.

"Sweet dreams," She snarled.

And the last thing Jason remembered was hearing the gun bang as black dots blurred his vision with Dick's voice echoing in his com-link.

* * *

The rain poured down on her as thunder roared in the sky. The scarlet-haired girl didn't seem to mind it at all as she stood infront of a grave, her stormy grey eyes staring at it. Lightening shot through the sky which was followed by an enormous thunder. The rain made her hair damp and stick to her body with her clothes.

He _died_ five years ago…

She knew that, she _did_.

He's walking around _alive_…

Her veins began to pump because of a rush of blood.

He _wasn't _dead…

Biting her lower lip, Bloodlust stared at the grave before her. The words; Jason Peter Todd carved into the tombstone. He was _dead_, he _needed_ to be dead.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she ran a hand through her fiery red hair, loosening it from its tight pony tail and causing it to run down her back. She peeled off her mask, her silver eyes not leaving the grave for a single second.

She swallowed, looking around and making sure no one was seeing her. Hesitantly, she yanked the glamour charm* off of her neck and in the blink of an eye, her crimson hair turned back to the sunny blonde and her eyes formed bright blue orbs, replacing the grey ones.

Kate bit her tongue as her gaze kept itself settled on the grave.

She used to come here whenever she would be free, she would come to his grave sometimes and tell him how her day went. She would tell him things she couldn't tell anyone, not even Blake. She'd act as if he actually talked back to her and she'd laugh and smile like a lunatic.

She remembered him sometimes, how bright his green eyes were and even if he'd forgotten her, she didn't. She never forgot him, Dick or Bruce and not even Alfred. He kept her company and made her loose the stress she got buried in everyday. And now she was here, standing there and feeling as if she was going to lose her sanity.

"Please," She prayed, whimpering as thunder rumbled. "Please be in _there._" She begged.

She kneeled down infront of the grave as her body shivered when a gust of wind blew.

Kate allowed the bloodthirsty feeling to overcome her and as soon as she did, her nails sharpened as flames danced across her palms, her canines grew sharp, the ends of her ears get pointy like needles and her eyes matched the crimson blood she had spilled today.

She gave a growl, her hands dug into the wet muddy ground that formed Jason's grave. She began to dig, throwing out the mud and dirt and Kate was a hundred per cent sure she doesn't need a shovel for the job.

_Please_ be in there; please have your body _inside_. She kept praying.

Minutes passed(and she didn't care how much they did), she dug into the grave when she spotted something peering out. She cleared it away with her fingerless gloved hands, the dirt and mud littering and staining her knees, face and hands.

Finally that wooden box in which his body lay came infront of her and Kate swallowed again, leaning back before placing her hands in her lap. She stared at them, incredulously, thinking how she just lost her sanity, but didn't she lose it when she first killed?

Collecting her courage and with one final prayer, she slammed her knuckles against the wooden box, breaking the seal that hid the dead body from the world. And with one swift movement, she threw the wooden door aside.

Her features changed back to normal as her heart skipped a beat and her lungs squeezed painfully due to the less supply of oxygen she'd inhaled. Her throat went dry and the world stopped for her as she clamped her dirty hands over her face.

A strangled sob escaped her throat as tears flowed down her dimpled cheeks. The grave, the funeral box, it was…

_Empty_…

* * *

A**\**N: Major cliffhanger! Lol, I hope you all enjoyed it :) I skipped some scenes I wrote for this chap for the first time… before it got deleted :/ No asking for spoilers! No just NO! I am saying this to a 'specific person' who'll understand this purr-fectly.

Just review who you want Kate to be with, it's simple as that! Also, this fic focuses on Batman, Nightwing, Red Hood and Bloodlust. Other characters will appear when _required_.

Also, this fic will stay on T or High T if it has to. I do not do lemons so don't even think about it! *Looks at specific person whom I'm registering this too*

Really long A\N, I know but I need to make things clear. If you get confused ask me, ask what's confusing you just do not ask for spoilers ;)

Let me in your thoughts by reviewing :3 Thanks for reading, dearies! ❤

*_Glamour Charm:_ A magical necklace that changes ones outer appearance such that nobody can recognize him/her.


	7. Meeting the Blue Bird

**A\N: **Thanks to '_The Unknown' and 'This Will Be The Day' _for encouraging me to update (^_^)

* * *

His world was blurry. _Very_ blurry.

He heard someone call to him. His name was being said. Someone was trying to get to him. He wanted to respond but he couldn't. Everything was dark and fuzzy.

Gradually, his vision began to clear.

"I think he's _dead_," He knew that voice.

Another voice echoed, "Tim! Don't say that!"

Tim? Who was Tim? The name clicked his mind. But he didn't want to think. Thinking was _painful_ in the state he was in. His whole body was sore, particularly his left shoulder. It hurt the most.

A moan came from his mouth. Soon, he began seeing a light, a dim light which started to grow brighter and brighter. And then his view became crystal clear.

A man, his face inches away, was leaning over him. And for a second, his big blue eyes scared Jason.

"He's awake!" The man cheered right in his face causing Jason's nose to wrinkle when the man's breath of consumed pasta hit his nostrils.

He pushed his right hand onto the man's face. "Get away, Dick." Jason said, disgusted as he sat up on the cave's bed.

In return, the Romani smiled at him.

"How do you feel?" Came a deep voice.

It didn't take Jason time to know it belonged to Batman. "Peachy," He said flatly.

His gaze wandered around the medical bay of the cave. His eyes swept from Tim to Damian who sat on a stool, drinking lemon tea.

Bruce narrowed his eyes as he asked, "What happened?" The man inquired.

Jason opened his mouth to answer when a sharp bolt of pain shot up his left arm causing him to groan. He looked at his arm, taking in the white tape wrapped around his shoulder. And then it all came back, the girl, the fight and the shot.

His teeth grinded together in anger.

"Jason, who did this to you?" Bruce inquired from him, concerned for his son.

The emerald-eyed young man curled his hand into a fist, "I can't believe that rookie shot me!" He barked, furious.

"Jason," Bruce repeated but said man was too busy vomiting curses.

A scowl framed Bruce's face as he spoke firmly and harshly this time, "Jason, tell us _what_ happened?" Every pair of eyes was settled on Bruce now.

Slowly, the second former Robin began telling him about how awful his night had gone. Bruce kept nodding as he absorbed the information.

"Bloodlust?" He raised an amused eyebrow.

Jason resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yeah, that's what she called herself." He told him.

Bruce looked down at Tim, "See if you can find something on her," He ordered, his Batman mode turning on.

Jason looked at Dick, "How long have I've been here?"

The blue-eyed man young man smirked, "Two weeks," He answered with a grin.

"Two weeks?!" Jason yelled out, eyes wide as marbles.

Damian shook his head, "Grayson is just fooling with you, Todd. You've been unconscious for the past two hours, fourteen minutes and six seconds," The boy said, sipping his lemon tea.

In return, Jason gave a small sigh of relief before glaring daggers at Dick who innocently smiled in response.

Before Jason could give death threats, Tim interrupted him. "Guys," He said, his gloved fingers tapping on the enormous keyboard. He looked up at Bruce.

"I think I've found something on her,"

Bruce nodded, lips pressed into a straight line. "Continue," He said, his voice ice-cold.

The ebony clicked open some files, his blue eyes glued to the screen of the bat-computer. "Her name's Bloodlust. She's a twenty-three year old vigilante who's been seeing killing criminals all over Gotham,"

Bruce raised an eyebrow, "Killing?" He scowled deeply.

Tim kept reading, "Yeah, she's killing them quite brutally to be exact." And that's when he came across something which confused him. "That's weird," Tim frowned, narrowing his eyes.

"What?" Bruce inquired, expressions hard as a rock.

Tim spun in his chair to make eye contact with his guardian slash father. "Forty percent of the people she's murdered have either been shot or stabbed but the others are…" The teenager scowled, stopping in mid-sentence.

Damian glared at him, "Will you continue?"

Cocking his head up at Bruce, Tim completed, "Well, they've been spotted with claw marks or burnt patches,"

The tension in the room was thick, so thick that Dick thought he could cut it with a knife, "So you're saying she's a meta-human?" The Romani suggested.

Tim bounced his shoulders, "I'm not sure." He settled his gaze on Jason, "Did she use any powers?" He asked.

In return, Jason shook his head, "No, she didn't." He answered, grimly.

Bruce turned his attention to Tim, "Is there something else you found?" He asked him. The blue-eyed teenager sighed, "No, she doesn't have much information." He switched off the large computer.

A few seconds later, Damian smirked at Jason. "Todd got himself beaten by a girl," He snarled at his adoptive brother.

He sipped his drink, a smirk plastered on his face. "Tt, you should be ashamed,"

Jason simply glared at him, "Oh shut up you—"but before he could complete, pain crawled up his arm causing him to wince and groan.

Bruce sighed before saying to his second son, "You'll have to stay home for a few days. No patrol," He told him.

Ready to argue, Jason, for once, thought that he was right so he grew silent. Bruce walked up to him before patting his good arm, "We'll talk later when you're feeling better," The man said.

The emerald-eyed young man didn't respond. He had gotten tired of Bruce's pathetic ways of telling him that he cared about him. He knew that Bruce didn't care about him. If he did, Joker wouldn't have been alive. He would have been lying in a hole, butchered in tiny pieces.

Jason bit his bottom lip. He wasn't supposed to think about that. He had forgiven Bruce and he had changed but sometimes he felt he didn't.

Crouching down next to him, Dick's lips stretched into a smirk, "So this girl you fought…" He bobbed his head.

"Was she _cute_?" Dick smirked, elbowing Jason in the ribs.

Tim gave him an unamused look, "She tried to _kill_ your brother and you're asking if she was _cute_?" He questioned, frowning.

Bruce scratched his chin, "But she _didn't_ kill you," He gazed down at Jason. "She just _wounded_ you, that's all." The Dark Knight pondered.

Damian resisted the urge to roll his blue orbs when Jason answered Dick with an equal smirk.

"Cute? Dude! She was hot!"

Damian would never understand these fools.

* * *

_~Broken Souls~_

No one in Wayne industry noticed the blonde who had ran in with heaving breaths and if someone did, then they simply didn't care. She was just met by odd looks which she responded with weak smiles as she made her way up to her boss's office.

Kate entered her office; _correction_, Mr. Grayson's office. She didn't know why she didn't have her own office. She was Grayson's secretary and they all were filthy rich, so not getting her own office was a question she really wanted to be answered.

Suppressing a curse, she lifted the jug of water off the expensive glass desk before gulping it all down. She was just too thirsty to look for a glass.

The blonde gave a sigh as she placed the jug back. Pushing a strand of hair back, she propped down on the blue couch. She had just walked Blake to school and had literally ran to the Wayne building. She would consider someone stupid if they asked whether she was tired.

A few seconds later, she was busy with a load of files on her desk. Kate licked her dry lips as she tapped the tip of her pen on the paper. It seemed that Mr. Grayson didn't like doing paperwork. Actually, all he did was sit and flirt with her as she did all the work by herself.

In all honesty, she didn't know what Mr. Wayne had thought about bringing him in business. That man didn't know anything except for flirting in her opinion.

Frustrated by the number of files on her desk, Kate leaned back into her seat. The blonde stifled an upcoming yawn. And then last night's memories came flooding back.

A smirk stretched her lips as she remembered the painful screams of the men she'd killed. The heads which she had cracked open with nothing but a mere metal baseball bat, the sound of crippling bones and shrieks of horror.

_They were all music to her ears…_

Kate chewed her bottom lip as she thought about Red Hood. A scowl graced her features as she now starting judging the _decision_ that she took when he was vulnerable.

The decision of _not_ to kill him.

She didn't know why she had left him with an injury of just a damaged shoulder. Maybe she was growing _soft_. The blonde frowned. She wasn't growing soft. Her softness was only for _one_ person and that person was her younger brother. Nobody else but _Blake._

This world had two kinds of people; the good and the bad. And her job was to clear as much as bad people she could.

She wasn't like him. She'll never turn up like him. No, she was better. She was right, he was wrong.

A growl escaped her throat.

Bloodlust was _better_ than Batman.

Kate slipped her eyes shut for a second.

What she wasn't expecting was a voice that came out of nowhere.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Her eyes snapped open as she whipped her head to her right, only to be met by the sight of Dick sitting beside her, smiling.

"Mr. Grayson!" She exclaimed, straightening in her seat. _Last thing she needed was being accused of sleeping on the job._

Kate smiled, "I didn't hear you coming in," Her smile didn't falter but from the inside, she was puzzled.

She had noticed a thing about the Wayne family that they all had a habit of sneaking up on people without making the slightest sound. It was almost as if they blended in with the shadows.

Dick rubbed the back of his neck, "I thought you did," He laughed nervously before eyeing the number of files on her desk. As he did, he blew a small whistle, "Looks like a lot of work."

Kate nodded as she clicked her pen open, "Yeah, I'll get right to it." She said, placing the papers neatly infront of herself.

Dick however, had other things in mind. "You wanna have coffee?" He inquired, smirking.

She shot him an amused look, "I don't think it's the proper time for a lunch break," Kate looked up at the wall clock.

Shaking his head, Dick started, "Nonsense," He got up, placing his hands on his hips, "Tell you what? Let's go and have pizza." He flashed her one of his charming smile.

Kate frowned, "I don't think Mr. Wayne will like that." She had a meeting with Bruce a few days ago and Kate had gotten the idea that Mr. Wayne was a bit too possessive for all of his children.

Bruce had told her to work and _only_ work. She was not to be involved in their family issues and she was strictly banned from spending time with Richard with the exception of the office. And Kate wasn't in the mood of becoming Mrs. Grayson-Wayne anyway.

She was just here for _money_.

Suddenly, her cell phone buzzed in the pocket of her black blazer. She pulled it out and her blonde eyebrows knitted together as she found the number of no other than Blake's school.

"Yes," Kate answered the call, ignoring the frown that the Romani sent her way.

Giving a sigh, she stuffed the phone back in her pocket before looking up at her boss, "Sorry, sir but I need to go somewhere." Kate smiled meekly.

She bit her lip, "Can I have an early leave today?"

Dick sighed, "Sure…" He said, dryly.

Kate smiled as she grabbed her small hand bag, thanked him and left him alone in his office.

"Stupid calls," Dick mumbled as he plopped down in his seat. He stared blankly around the room before settling his gaze on the files that needed to be written.

Muttering something under his breath, he reached for a pen but stopped when the ring of his cell phone filled the room. "Hello," He picked it up.

"Dick, Damian's Principal has called. She said that she needed someone to get to his school as she wanted to talk about something."

The blue-eyed young man blew air out of his mouth, "And you want me to go, don't you?" Dick said in a matter of fact tone.

He could literally see Bruce scowl on the other side.

"No, I have sent Jason." Bruce replied.

"Jason?!" Dick repeated with a small shriek. "He'll make things only worse!"

Bruce growled into the phone, "Jason is a grown adult. We need to give him a chance," The man said.

Dick rolled his eyes again. "I hope he doesn't blow the school into bits and pieces," He said, flatly.

* * *

_~Broken Souls~_

Heels clicking on the floor, Kate rushed her way to the Principal's office. Blake had gotten a scholarship here in Gotham Academy, something she was very proud of. The boy was great in studies. Studies were the only things which she was strict on anyway.

She hoped he was okay. The Principal hadn't explained why she was being called. The woman had said that Kate needed to get here urgently. Kate swore if anyone even laid a finger on her brother, she would literally bite that finger off.

Thinking of threats, the blonde collided with someone and was pushed down on the floor.

Whipping her head up, she hissed, "Are you blind?! Can't you see I—Jason?" And all her anger melted away as soon as her sapphire blues met emerald-green.

Jason glared down at her as she sat on the cold floor, gaze locked with him. "Oh it's _you_," The ebony drawled, remembering her from a few days before.

Kate didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to throw herself in his arms and scream to the world with joy that he was alive. But the other part was completely different, the other part wanted her to grab a shovel, dig a grave and bury him back in as he was walking around, alive rather than having eternal slumber.

She simply stared at him, tongue-tied.

The raven raised an eyebrow her way, "Are you just gonna sit there and ogle at me or what?" Jason asked sarcastically.

Though, he was slightly amused when her cheeks flared a deep shade of crimson.

Kate pushed herself up on her feet, "What're you doing here?" She questioned him.

Jason frowned, "I can ask you the same question." He replied, smirking.

The blonde ignored him as she walked to the Principal's office but she couldn't help but wonder why he was following her.

Upon entering the office, relief filled her lungs as she saw Blake sitting on the couch. The brown-haired boy instantly flashed his sister a smile. Kate smiled back but her smile faltered when she saw an all so familiar blue-eyed boy sitting beside him.

Damian's face graced a scowl, his ice cold gaze fixed on the ground.

On the other side of the room, a red-haired woman sat with a red-haired boy at her side. It wasn't hard to tell that they were related.

The Principal, who was a woman in her early forties began, "I believe you are Blake's sister." She said and Kate nodded in response.

In the next minute, the blonde felt a chill run down her spine when an all too familiar person breathed near her ear, "Aren't you fast?" Jason smirked as Kate nearly jumped out of her skin.

The Principal arched an eyebrow at him, "I'm sorry but who are _you_?" She asked Jason.

Instead of telling them who he was, Jason stepped into room. He glared down at the red-headed boy, "Is this the bastard who was hurting my brother?" He growled.

Everyone stared at him, shocked as the red-haired boy gripped his mother's arm tightly.

"Idiot," Damian muttered under his breath.

A hand suddenly gripped Jason's bruised shoulder and he was pulled back. He snapped his head at the person, teeth gritting together but he was taken back that it was none other than Kate.

The blonde confidently stepped up, forcing a pretty smile. "I'm sorry about that," She apologized for the man's behavior who was staring at her with wide eyes.

She clasped her hands together, "Please tell us what happened?"

* * *

_~Broken Souls~_

Of all the things she needed was Wayne's kid in the same school with her brother's. Well, Katherine Flynn couldn't ask for more. The situation was quite simple that she'd been called for. Apparently, Blake and Damian had gotten in a fight with that red-headed kid and the Principal had called them all to talk about it.

It was funny as Blake wasn't the one to pick fights. Kate would talk to him about it when they would reach home.

Right now, Blake and Damian were given an early leave.

"Are you angry with me?" Blake squeaked in his sister's grasp.

Kate cocked her head down, "Not at all," She gave him a smile. "But you need to tell me where that kid—his name's Billy, right?—lives." She smiled sweetly at him.

Blake quirked an eyebrow, "Why?" He asked.

"Because I need to give that brat a piece of my mind," Kate mumbled, scowling. She snapped her head at him and Blake squirmed.

"Why didn't you tell me you were being _bullied_?" She questioned, face scrunching up with anger. _Oh she was going to kill that damn ginger boy!_

Blake bit the insides of his cheeks, small tears bubbling up in his eyes. The boy didn't know what to say.

Kate's glare softened. She was soft for him after all. "You should've told me, Blake." She sighed.

"I'm sorry," Blake sniffed.

The blonde rolled her blue orbs before ruffling his hair, "It's okay but next time anyone tries to bully you, make sure you let me know. Got it?"

The boy smiled up at her.

Blake piped up, "None of it was Damian's fault, though." That caught Kate's attention. "You know about Damian?" She blinked.

He nodded, "Yeah, he doesn't talk much but he's a great drawer!" Blake told her.

Kate hummed, thoughtfully. "He's your friend?" She inquired.

Blake grinned, "Yup!" He popped up the 'p'. "He always stands up with me and _plus_," He looked up at her.

"You work for his brother!" He said cheerfully as Kate scowled deeply.

But the blonde couldn't help but ask, "You said he's a good drawer?" Kate mused.

"What does he draw exactly?"

Blake tossed her a grin, "Cats!" The brown-eyed boy answered, laughing

* * *

_~Broken Souls~_

Red pony tail swishing in the air, Bloodlust swung herself inside the factory. Her feet gracefully touched the chipped floor as her silver eyes darted around. A smirk grew on her face as she flicked the glamour charm hanging from her neck. Maybe breaking in Blüdhaven's factory was far easier than in Gotham's Tech. Industry.

It was true. _Blüdhaven__'s s_ecurity wasn't as tough as Gotham's Wayne Tech Industry.

During her work today, Kate had found and read many documents as well as files which had revealed the fact that Wayne Tech was also transported to _Blüdhaven_ .The factory was located near the eastern coast, where the shipment was done.

It _wasn't_ normal tech which included guns and bombs rather it was _far_ more complex and up-graded. These weapons were only conveyed to the Justice League or to the US army.

It wasn't possible for her to just walk in and say; 'Hey! Can I have the _machine thing-y_ which can kill almost eighty people?' _No_. It was _not_ possible for her to do that. If it was they why on earth would she be sneaking in there?!

So the solution to get that damn ammo was simply to break into the factory and steal it, or as she liked to call _borrow_ it and then kill some freaks to make this world a happier place to live in.

She was doing it for a _good_ purpose so hopefully no one would mind. Yeah, _that_ was what she kept telling herself.

Also, she had _somethings_ which needed to be taken cared of in this city. And _afte_r, doing them she had snuck into the factory.

The cool breeze that the waves sent in the atmosphere was quite pleasant but unluckily, the vigilante was not here to enjoy it. Chewing on her lower lip, Bloodlust approached what seemed to be two large metal gates forming a door.

The scarlet-haired beauty cocked an eyebrow. Since when did factories starting having enhanced lock-down doors? Maybe it was because of the dangerous weapons that were kept inside.

She extended her right arm, her gloved palm tracing the cold metal door. "It's inside," She mumbled to herself.

Bloodlust took a step back and analyzed the material of the door before tapping it with her fingernails. The metal couldn't be damaged by a bullet. It was too thick. Using a bomb wouldn't be a good idea either. She didn't want any unnecessary attention.

Frowning, Bloodlust spat a curse. _Great!_ Now she'd have to look for some damn keys.

But when her eyes landed on the small screen located beside the locked doors, hope sprang back in her.

Instantly, she switched it on. Though, her brows furrowed when green letter's flashing _'Code required' _read on the screen.

_Code_?! She didn't read anything about a code when she was studying through the files.

Pursing her lips, Bloodlust entered in some guesses.

'Access Denied.' The screen flashed.

Okay, the code wasn't the word _password_.

'Access Denied.'

The code was definitely not _Damian_.

Teeth now gritting together, the red-head enrolled some more guesses but sadly, they were none.

People normally put in passwords which they could remember easily. Those included the names of their loved ones or something that they could never forget about and she had no idea what Bruce loved or remembered the most.

Growing frustrated, she slammed her fists on the side wall in anger, creating a small crate, "The hell can it be?!" Bloodlust grumbled, glaring daggers at the offending words flashing on the screen.

"Well, punching the poor wall isn't gonna help you, now is it?"

The silver-eyed vigilante nearly jumped out of her skin when someone breathed right near her neck.

Whirling around with a hand on her chest and eyes as wide as saucepans, Bloodlust tried to calm down the beating of her heart as she took in the appearance of the figure standing behind her.

"Whoa. I didn't mean to scare you," The person in the blue-black spandex smirked at her.

It took a second or two for her to actually absorb the fact that someone in a stupid spandex had scared her. Well, that someone was going to get his legs _ripped_ out from his torso.

Bloodlust glared at him menacingly, "Who are you?" She snapped, her hand slowly making its way to the holster strapped to her hip.

He caught the notion and smiled, "You don't know about me? Wow, you're a first to say that," He slowly stepped into the scarce light that was somehow entering the factory.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw that his face held a domino mask. "Nightwing," He said before placing his hands on his hips and tossing her a sharp toothed grin, "The _acro_-bat!"

In return, Bloodlust didn't even bother to comment on the stupid pun he'd just made. She was too busy in scolding herself for forgetting about the weird hero named Nightwing who was known as Blüdhaven's protector.

She'd neglected doing full research on the city as all she was going to do was break in, _borrow_ and then leave. But now she wanted to slap herself for being so ignorant.

The mental scolding war inside her head was interrupted by Nightwing, "And I'm thinking you're Bloodlust?" He inquired from her.

At first, she wanted to demand that how he knew her name. The red-head was sure that she didn't come into the cameras as she wanted to restrain herself from coming into any hero's views, especially Batman's but the how'd he know about her? It was a question which she wanted to be answered.

She was brooding when Nightwing talked. "Aren't you gonna say anything?" He asked her.

A scowl graced her features, "Look," She said grimly. "I'm just here for something and it would be better if you stay away from me," Bloodlust said, giving the same speech she'd done with Red Hood.

Nightwing smirked as he walked up to her. In response, Bloodlust's scowl grew deeper, "Didn't you hear me? Stay away," Her brows knitted together as the blue-bird talked softly.

"I've heard about you and now that we've met," He smiled and Bloodlust didn't like the way he was now standing right infront of her.

"I think you just need some help," He offered her a friendly smile.

Again with the stupid You-need-help speech. She had started growing sick of it. Didn't these heroes have something better to say?

This time, Bloodlust cut the conversation apart, "Didn't Hood tell you what happened to him when he started that _help_ shit?" She sneered, eyes glinting danger.

Nightwing fell silent making it clear that he knew Red Hood. Bloodlust bit the insides of her cheek as realization hit her like a brick; he knew Hood. That's why he knew her name. The girl was surprised that why hadn't she figured it out before. It didn't matter now as she'd found out about it now.

When she had asked Red Hood about Batman, he'd snapped at her with anger which meant he did work for Batman. If Red Hood worked for the Bat and Nightwing and him were teammates or something then it wasn't a leap to think that Nightwing knew the Dark knight too which meant the damned Bat also knew about her.

_It was simple Mathematics_, Bloodlust thought ironically, _in a very twisted and strange way that is_. She _almost_ wanted to laugh at the idiotic discovery she'd just made. _Almost._

Her flow of thoughts were broken when she felt a tug at her arm. She snapped back to reality before sending death glares Nightwing's way.

"Let go of me, you freak!" She hissed. But she didn't forget to say déjà vu for the situation.

Nightwing's grip on her arm was strong yet soft which gave her the idea that he didn't wanted to hurt her. But she'd be lying if she said she _didn't_ want to hurt him.

"I don't know what you're thinking but it would be better if you just do as I say," His words were strong but she could trace the kindness in them.

Actually, she didn't want to hurt him. She just wanted to feed him to a group of bloodthirsty hyenas. That was all she wanted to do.

And when she felt him pull at her arm, Bloodlust instantly reacted. Her left fist came crashing up to his jaw and as soon as it made contact, Nightwing's face tilted up because of the hard force.

Bloodlust couldn't help but feel impressed when he stood his ground like a brick wall. The acrobat cocked his head down at her, face now framing a frown.

Her silver eyes caught the small river of blood now streaming down from the side of his mouth and dripping down his chin. She didn't need any hints to realize that blood was now pooling inside his mouth, tinting his pearly white teeth.

Nightwing whipped his head aside before spitting out the crimson liquid. He then snapped his head at her, his grip tightening so much that Bloodlust winced beneath it.

Swiftly, she broke away from his grasp and in the blink of an eye; the scarlet haired girl had her fingers wrapped firmly around a gun.

Her finger kept pressing the trigger and with each press, bullets began erupting from the gun's nozzle. A curse vomited from her mouth as the blue-bird started dodging them and found shelter behind a metal table.

"Get out of there coward!" Bloodlust shouted out as the banging of her gun howled through the air. "I should've known this was what the Bat taught you all, to hide away when people depend on you for their lives!"

She was speaking the truth which haunted her mind ever since her parents were murdered. "You all are just selfish! You don't know what kind of hope people have in you!" She yelled, angered that he wasn't responding.

Out of the blue, a bluish-black boomerang came flying and clapped against her wrist, sending the gun soaring in the other direction. The young vigilante's teeth grinded together as she clamped her left hand to her wrist which was now pounding with pain.

"Sorry 'bout that," Came a cheery reply.

Anger rushing through her, Bloodlust tilted her head up only to find Nightwing standing beside her, grinning at his 'handiwork'.

Hands balling into fists, she threw a punch his way that was followed by a plethora of kicks and fists. He veered aside and flipped backwards, performing a hand spring.

_Damn acrobats and their flexibility_.

Giving out a battle cry, Bloodlust sent a punch, aiming at his nose when her whole arm was forcefully grabbed as her feet were yanked up and the next thing she knew was being thrown aside like a lifeless doll.

The red-head made a very rough landing as her back hit the ground with full force. She held in a painful hiss that wanted to erupt from her lips so bad, however, she ignored the pain rummaging through her body. Her hair was whipped around her face and her legs were splayed apart as her head throbbed with a headache.

Grunting, she pushed herself up into a sitting position on the cold chipped floor.

From a curtain of red hair, she murderously glared at the acrobat who began walking towards her. "This would be easy for both of us if you just come with me," Nightwing advised her, his voice calm and smooth.

Bloodlust gave him an icy glare.

Nightwing's eyes widened slightly as he thought he saw her grey orbs blaze a _crimson red_ for a second.

"Can you _please_ stop with the help speech?!" The red-haired girl barked as she pushed herself on her feet. "It's starting to get extremely annoying!"

Quickly, she swept at his feet, taking him off guard. Nightwing face-planted on the floor with a thud and seeing it was great chance for her to escape, Bloodlust made a run for it.

She exited the factory, the scent of salty seawater hitting her nostrils and filling her lungs with fresh air. The female vigilante was showered by the bright light of the full moon which hung in the sky and for some strange reason she felt as if the moon had frowned at her.

Pushing back some fiery red locks, her silver eyes narrowed at the men which started boarding a ship parked beside the coast. The men couldn't see her but she could and one would be frightened by the look of blood thirst that waved in her eyes.

And when Bloodlust looked back, she couldn't help but scowl because of the familiar face.

"There's nowhere to go," Nightwing smirked, a look of victory on his face as he approached her.

Bloodlust looked at him before looking back at the sea. He was right; there was no way to run. She had hit a dead end.

She cocked her head, settling her gaze on the navy blue bird symbol on his chest before giving out a half-hearted chuckle.

The acrobat arched an eyebrow, "What's so funny?"

Even with the bruises on her body and the pain in her spine, Bloodlust tossed him a grin. "You're right. There's no way to run," Her grin grew as she placed a hand on her hip.

Nightwing winced slightly at the venom in her voice.

"But if it's gonna be my last night then…" Bloodlust smirked, cocking her hip out as her left hand fished something out from her rusty utility belt.

And that's when Nightwing's mouth went dry.

Bloodlust waved the _detonator_ in her gloved hand, eyes sparkling with mischief. "It's gonna be their last night as well," She teased, motioning towards the number of men on the nearby ship.

The former Robin felt his blood run cold. "You _sabotaged_ the ship," He said incredulously.

"Yeah," The red-head said wryly. "It was hard plotting bombs all around it but…" She placed her right hand on her neck and produced a crack before stretching her legs.

She completed, "It was definitely worth it,"

Nightwing curled his hands into tight fists, "There are more than hundred civilians in there. You can't kill them," He told her, his gaze not leaving the detonator for a second.

"Bullshit," Bloodlust spat, jaw clenched. "Those _civilians_ are drug smugglers. Their doing nothing but destroying lives!" She snarled.

Her hand gravitated back to her hip, "I don't kill innocents, I only _kill _criminals," She said venomously. "All those drugs are gonna get smuggled to _Gotham_ tomorrow."

"Why are you doing this?" Nightwing was trying to remain calm. He just needed the right time to snatch that dangerous machine from her.

Anger fueled the girl even more, "I'm doing what Batman _can't_. I'm _making_ Gotham safe!"

Her voice was poisonous, "I'm gonna make Gotham safe even if it means to _stab_ each and every crook with my bare hands,"

Nightwing could stop her. He knew he could, but the way she was acting was starting to worry him. "Look, please don't do this. Just relax, okay?" He held his hands up, his bottom lip pressed between his teeth.

She _almost_ reminded him of Jason.

The blue-bird held his hand out to her, a small smile stretching his lips. "We can figure this out together," He smiled broadly, ignoring his heart which was beating like a drum.

"I don't need help!" Bloodlust snapped, "You've all _lost_ the chance where you could've helped me. Batman's _lost_ the chance where I wanted him to _help_ me!"

Nightwing was more than shocked when hot tears began prickling up the corners of her eyes.

"You've all _lost_ that damned chance!"

With those words hissing out, she threw the detonator away and as she did so, Dick felt his heart jump up to his throat. Forgetting about her, he dived down, eyes fixed on the soaring detonator that was about to touch the ground any second.

Like a ball, he caught it right in time before it could hit the ground.

Relief filled his lungs as he gave out a blissful sigh, his chest feeling like he'd just lost a ton of weight. He turned to her, relaxed.

Instead of frowning or scowling, Bloodlust grinned, the tears in her eyes long gone. The red-head blew a kiss his way, "Hey birdie," She'd just provided him with a nickname.

"If you see _Hood_, tell him I said _hi_," She laughed before swaying her hand in the air.

And Nightwing's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he saw another detonator in her hand. His head instantly snapped at his own hand which held the exactly same copy of the one she had.

But the one Bloodlust held was _original_.

_Shit!_

"I had a lot fun tonight," She brought the detonator up, her thumb hovering over it. "Audios amigo!" She sang, her thumb crashing down onto the button of the detonator.

Loud beeps rang in the empty atmosphere before a plethora of bright and dark shells made of smoke could be seen erupting from the ship. The smoke cleared instantly as the breeze of the sea took it away but then the sparks bouncing inside the ship morphed into fire and very soon the flames grew large, eating up the ship.

Screams of men vibrated around him, making him want to die in a small hole with shame and then Nightwing saw men, or rather _bodies_ which had been thrown up because of the explosion, coming down from the sky and entering the waters. But the water refused to keep those dead bodies and like what naturally water did to dead masses; it simply pushed them up, making them float over it.

He stared at it all, frozen and shocked.

His ears picked up the sound of someone diving into the chilly waters of his city but he neglected it. He was just too shocked to move, too shocked to think.

Slowly, his hand made its way to the small device in his ear, "Batman," His voice wavered.

"We've got a _serious_ situation in our hands," Nightwing breathed out as he passed a hand through his raven haired locks.

His eyes traveled from the destroyed ship to the dead masses of flesh floating over the chilly waters.

* * *

_~Broken Souls~_

Shivering as the cold wind brushed against her body, Kate walked down Crime Alley. The glamour charm glittered inside the pocket of her blue jeans as water dripped from her blonde hair. The girl sneezed before muttering a curse under her breath.

On her shoulder, hung a small back-pack which contained her wet costume. She had changed since she had gotten out from the cold water of Bludhaven.

"_I don't about you but I'm feeling twenty-two_," Kate sang one of her favorite songs. "_We're happy, free, confused and lonely in the best way…"_

"_It's miserable and magical…"_

She wasn't even bothered by the fact she'd just caused a ship explosion.

"_You don't know about me…"_ She sang, not worried if a mugger jumped out of nowhere and tried to kill her. Infact, she thought that the mugger _should be_ worried if she got her hands on him.

"_But I bet you want too,_" Soon her little song turned into a small dance and she knew exactly whom to sing it with. Imagining a certain _emerald-eyed person_ she knew, she began to dance on it.

The image changed from the emerald-eyed boy to a sapphire-eyed Romani she worked for.

If someone saw her, they would think she was crazy.

"_It_ _feels like one of those nights, we won't be sleeping!_"

Maybe she _was_ crazy.

A smile stretched on her face, "_Twenty-two_!" Her voice wasn't the best but she enjoyed a small happy dance. She'd gotten a great victory today. Too bad it was too late for ice-cream; otherwise she would've both some chocolate chip for Blake.

"_Everything will be alright if you keep me next to you…_"

A figure emerged from the shadows and Kate didn't need anyone to tell her that it was none other than another witty criminal from the streets of Gotham.

He spoke up, eyes glinting with danger. "Looks like someone needs a _dance_ partner," He laughed, stepping out.

She assumed he was drunk.

The man began again, "How about me and you—argh!" He didn't even get to complete his sentence as he dropped to the ground, the blade of a knife sticking out from his forehead.

Kate kept walking, hips swaying and lips running with the song on her lips.

She looked up at the Bat-signal in the sky.

"_Twenty-two_!"

* * *

**A\N: **The song is '_22' by Taylor_. This chapter was written _very_ slowly. I am sorry for delaying this story for so much. I hope you all will forgive me.

Kate is a very strange character that I've started writing and sometimes, even _I_ feel scared of her! I also hope the explosion scene was good as I've _never_ written an explosion scene before. Anywho, please tell me who to pair her with! It would greatly be appreciated!

If I get _15 reviews_, I promise to update next week!

Thank you for reading, lovelies!


	8. Beautiful Monster

**A\N: **Oh My God! I AM SO SORRY! I know I promised to update weeks ago but then... Please forgive me! Somethings just went wrong and all. Please accept my deepest apologies to my lovely readers. :(

* * *

_Three_ weeks.

It had been three weeks since the ship incident. Three weeks when those civilians died. Three weeks since Nightwing had _failed_.

Dick shook his head as he leaned back into his seat. Even after three weeks, Dick had been depressed. He couldn't get the screams and shouts of men out of his head. They had been haunting him at night sometimes, making him wake-up and feel even worse than before. But with those nightmares, came another face. The face of the scarlet haired beauty that had killed the men.

Unconsciously, a low growl escaped his throat whilst his nails dug into his palms. He had begun to _hate_ that damn beautiful face.

The Romani looked up, his steely blue eyes falling on the blonde sitting over the other side of the room.

Kate sat in her seat, fully drowned in work. Her eyes were fixed on the computer screen as her fingers kept tapping over the keyboard in a random rhythm.

_Strange_. The key word to define her was _strange_.

She was strange in the sense that she wasn't like other people he knew. Dick Grayson enjoyed being surrounded by pretty girls. Pretty girls that _flirted_ to be exact.

Kate wasn't one to flirt, which made her _boring_. Her style of clothing wasn't that impressing either. Actually, her clothes barely showed any flesh. Even her hair was always molded into a simple braid that hung down to her hips.

He began to wonder what she wore _beneath_ them.

"Mr. Grayson?"

Her lips looked _attractive_ though.

"Mr. Grayson?"

Yeah, that pink lip gloss did look _good_.

"Mr. Grayson, are you listening to me?"

Dick instantly straightened in his seat. "Yeah?"

Kate quirked a blonde eyebrow at him. "Is there something bothering you, sir?" She inquired, her blue eyes meeting his.

_Yeah, you._ "It's nothing," He smiled softly.

The hint of concern in her eyes disappeared, surprising him. She turned to the computer.

"I wanted to discuss something with you, Mr. Grayson." Her gaze flicked from the screen to him.

"You see, I've recently discovered that a Wayne Tech industry has been built in Bludhaven. And each factory owned by Mr. Wayne has a pass code." Kate tossed him a smile. "I was wondering that since I'm your personal assistant, I should be well aware of my work."

Dick nodded, "True,"

That seemed to push the blonde's confidence.

"I was thinking…" He was amused when she shuffled her feet under the glass table. "I was thinking I should know about the pass code and all…" Kate smiled, her voice smooth and sweet as honey.

It took a moment for Dick to understand what she had just asked for. "You mean the pass code to the Wayne Nuclear Tech factories?" He repeated, absorbing the strange question.

She answered with a nod.

Staring blankly, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry Kate, but Bruce doesn't like to let people in about the pass code." He chuckled nervously.

Dick didn't caught Kate's gaze harden.

"And anyway," The raven tossed the blonde a smirk. "It's just a factory filled with weapons! What're you gonna do with it anyway?" He laughed.

For a moment, Dick thought he saw her scowl. But before he could question her about it, a knock at the door stopped him.

"Dick! We know you're _in_ there!"

_Correction_, a chorus of female voices stopped him.

Arching an eyebrow, Kate cocked her head at the door which flung open, revealing a group of women. Before she could question who they were, they all came walking in whilst saying something about '_shopping_'.

The one with the fiery red hair stepped up, her sapphire blue eyes roaming around the room when they finally met Kate's. "Have you see Dick?" She asked.

Feeling quite confused, Kate started. "Mr. Grayson's right…" She looked over to the said man's seat and felt her eyes grow wide when her gaze met an empty chair that was left spinning. She stared at it disbelievingly.

"Uhh… Mr. Grayson's _where_?" A beautiful brunette cocked her head at Kate, smiling.

The blonde turned her attention towards them whilst choosing her words carefully, "Mr. Grayson's not here… _exactly_," Kate stretched her lips into a small smile.

"If there is a message you'll like to give, I'll be more than happy to give it to him."

A dark-skinned raven crossed her arms over her chest, "The lady down stairs said that Dickie was here." She mused while eyeing Kate suspiciously.

Biting her bottom lip, Kate eyed the females. She knew three of them but she didn't recognize the blonde and red-head who stood silent behind the others.

For some reason, she felt as if the blonde girl with the long golden hair and dark grey eyes was miserable and was trying to hide it with angered facial expressions.

"Who are you anyway?" The same dark-skinned woman asked.

Placing a hand on her chest, Kate introduced herself. "I'm Katherine Flynn. Mr. Grayson's secretary." She was slightly amused when they all exchanged surprised glances except for the blue-eyed red-head.

"Dick got himself a _secretary_? Who knew?!"

And that's when the red-head began, "Dick already told me about you, Kate." She smiled, her blue eyes glittering as she motioned towards the others.

"That there's Artemis."

The blonde threw Kate a smirk which she returned with a warm smile.

"That's M'ga—I mean _Megan_,"

Megan smiled a genuine smile as she waved at the blonde. "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too," Kate answered. Megan seemed nice.

But when the red-head turned to the other women, Kate interrupted. "I believe that's Zatanna Zatara, Raquel Ervin and your Barbara Gordon. Am I right?" Kate grinned at them.

Barbara looked at Kate amusingly. "How'd you know?"

Kate chuckled softly, "Uh… you all had quite a _scandal_ with Mr. Grayson," She grinned when Barbara rolled her blue orbs.

Smirking at the blonde, the Commissioner's daughter sighed, "Well, if you see Dick, then tell him we're looking for him and…"

Raquel beat her to it, "And we're gonna find him, tie him up and drag his sorry behind to the mall!" She laughed, hands on her hips.

"Mall?" Kate quirked an eyebrow, smirking.

Zatanna smiled, "Yeah, he sort of promised us he'll take us to the mall today and now," She made a wild hand gesture, "He's _disappeared_!"

"Can we please leave now?" Artemis inquired, leaning against the wall.

Barbara looked over at Kate, "Tell Dick we're looking for him." She extended her arm before shaking hands with the blonde, "It's nice to personally meet you, Kate." She smiled.

Kate smiled back, "It's great to meet you all,"

With grins and smiles, the group of beautiful women left, leaving a smiling Kate. She closed the door shut before leaning against it, smirking.

"You can come _out_ now, Mr. Grayson."

Popping his head from behind the wooden table, Dick stood up before dropping into his seat. "Man, that was close!" He sighed heavily.

The Romani was caught off guard when Kate laughed. "You know Mr. Grayson? It's not nice to break promises," She eyed him, smirking playfully.

Dick rolled his eyes, "I'll take them to the Mall... Tomorrow," He said, folding his arms behind his head.

"Tomorrow?"

He grinned, "Yeah. There's a charity ball Bruce is gonna hold up today so I'm pretty much gonna be busy there." He lifted his chin up to look at her. "You're _invited_ too, you know?"

His lips stretched in amusement when she shot him a surprised look, "_I'm_ gonna go too?" She blinked.

"Yup!" He grinned, popping up the 'p'. "Since your my secretary you are bound to be there with me,"

The look of panic on her face made him want to laugh, "I can't go! I mean I'm not even partying material!" Kate frowned.

Dick gave her a tight smile, "Don't worry. Just be who you are and everything will be fine." He assured her.

The blonde bit her tongue as she sighed.

It was easier said than done.

* * *

It was a _ball_.

She could go to a charity ball.

But she was sure she couldn't go to a charity ball run by the most rich man in Gotham.

Nervously biting her bottom lip, the blonde tried to adjust her hair whilst looking at the mirror.

Kate knew that long hair looked nice but as the saying goes, 'beauty comes with a price', she was having an awfully hard time to fix it. Her hair just wouldn't stop falling over her back.

Frustrated, Kate pushed her hair up before molding it into a french braid which wrapped around her head like a crown, leaving two golden locks to fall down on her cheekbones.

The blue-eyed young woman took a few steps back from the old cracked mirror before eyeing her reflection.

The dress she wore wasn't hers. It belonged to her deceased teacher, Miss Pricks. After getting rid of the woman, Kate had taken all of her belongings which included her clothes. Miss Pricks had a fine choice in clothing as well as wine. No wonder Kate had to wash this dress _four_ times to get the stench of alcohol out of it.

For a second, Kate felt sorry for killing Miss Pricks. What she was now wouldn't had been possible if Mama P hadn't trained her, _right_?

She shook her head. She didn't want to think about her dead teacher. She needed to focus on the elegant velvet dress she donned. The rosy pink strapless dress went down just below her ankles as it split a little down her left hip, revealing her leg.

Adding the last touches, Kate slipped her feet into black heels and slid an artificial diamond bracelet onto her wrist.

Kate smiled at the mirror. She looked ready to be surrounded by snobby rich people.

"Wow!"

She looked over her shoulder, smiling at her sibling.

Blake's eyes seemed to sparkle as he stared at his sister with awe, "You look amazing!" He exclaimed.

Kate replied with a small smile, "Thanks, Blake."

The ten-year old grinned as he hopped on his bed, "No seriously, sis! You look beautiful!" He'd never seen her wear such a fancy dress before.

The blonde rolled her blue eyes, "Stop trying to butter me," She scolded, opening the last drawer.

"I'm not trying to butter you. You really look good!"

Ignoring his compliment, Kate unlocked the drawer before pulling out a gun. "I know I look like a complete idiot, Blake." Careful that Blake won't see it, she managed to strap it on her right hip.

Just incase anything went _wrong_, she mentally told herself.

Swiftly, she grabbed her coat and began pulling it on, not noticing the small questioning look Blake was giving her.

"Aren't you going to take me?" He squeaked as he hopefully looked at her, "Damian invited me!"

The sudden glare he got from the blonde made him flinch. But her glare softened, "You know I can't take you, Blake." Kate sighed. She felt her heart squeeze when he frowned. "Maybe some other day?" She smiled meekly.

Blake mumbled, "I understand,"

Two hands cupped his chin, tilting it up. Brown eyes met blue ones. "I'll be back soon," Kate patted his cheek before pressing a kiss to his forehead.

The blonde was about to walk away when she looked down at him, "Don't open the door for anyone." She advised sternly.

Rolling his brown eyes, Blake sighed, "Stop worrying." He tossed her a smile, "I'll be fine!" His smile morphed into a smirk.

Giving a last assuring look, Kate walked to the door when she stopped, "Blake?"

"Yeah?"

She grimaced, "Try staying _away_ from that Wayne kid."

* * *

Her eyes grew wide at the lovely scenario that stood infront of her. And for a moment, she felt that she had ended up in the wrong place.

It was a French Hotel. A quite big one to be exact. The bright golden lights that illuminated the enormous room made everything sparkle and shine. Violins were being played in the background, spreading a tune that made her feel like she was in heaven. The temperature inside was cozy, unlike the cold wind that had been blowing outside.

Snapping back from her trance, Kate started to walk, her each step slow as her eyes remained fixed on the heavy glass chandelier that hung between the room. The blonde didn't even realize it when someone tugged at her arm, calling her name.

She whipped her head, the loose golden locks bouncing on her cheeks. Her gaze met a boy, not younger than seventeen. She remembered him.

"Hello, Tim." She smiled.

The young teenager grinned at her. "Hi, Kate." He cocked his head, "Long time no see," The former Robin chuckled.

He was Dick's younger brother. A boy whom she encountered when she had entered Wayne Manor for the first time in her life. Though, he looked different today. His raven hair was slicked back, his clothes consisting of a black tuxedo with a maroon tie.

She parted her lips to tell him that he looked great but before she could even utter a word, a voice interrupted her.

"Flynn, _where_ is your brother?"

Cocking her head down, she was met by piercing blue eyes. Damian glared at her. But she found the boy cute with his little black tux, dark green tie and ruffled black hair.

He looked _just_ like his father.

Kate curled her lips into a smile, "Sorry, Damian but Blake couldn't make it." He was a kid and adults lied to kids all the time, right?

The boy scowled, "He was to give me _company_,"

Bruce Wayne's son said somethings under his breath-things she couldn't exactly make out. Was he cursing in Arabic?

Still muttering in foreign language, Damian stomped off, face scrunched up into a snarl.

The blonde uneasily looked around, trying to find her boss but she saw him nowhere. All she saw were a group of men and women wearing glittering expensive clothes and scoffing about how filthy rich they were. Her stomach seemed to churn as the women in the enormous room sent her glances filled with nothing but hatred. Now Kate knew how the ugly duckling thought when he was surrounded by beautiful golden ducks.

She didn't belong here. She was a woman who starved to feed her brother. Who threw back her necessities so her brother could go to school. She was a woman who donned a vigilante's identity at night, inorder to dispose the monsters roaming in this city.

Kate was still thinking when two strong arms pulled her across the room and onto the floor where couples were engaged in dancing slowly.

"You look _beautiful_,"

It took Kate a moment to realize that it was Dick.

"Thank you, Sir." She forced a weak smile.

Though, she winced when he took ahold of her hands. "How about a _dance_?" The Romani asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.

That seemed to take her off guard, "Oh no! I don't know how to dance!" She whisper-shouted, trying to pull herself away but failed because of his strong hold.

Dick smiled softly, "It's easy," He took her free hand in his own, "Let me show you." With that he began instructing her, telling her when to step where.

"One, two, three... That's it." A smile tugged Dick's lips when she began following his steps as her hand now confidently remained on his shoulder.

He shot her a grin, "You're a fast learner,"

In response, the blonde smiled, eating up the information that her powers made her a born fast learner. No wonder she was Mama P's best student.

"So..." Dick drawled, "You looked a lot depressed when you were standing there." He gave her a spin. "What were you thinking?"

"I was replacing myself with the ugly duckling," Kate blurted out absent-mindedly.

She wanted to slap herself when he shot her an amused look. "And you were thinking that because...?"

In response, he was rewarded by a cold stare.

"Where's Mr. Wayne?" Kate inquired.

Dick was a bit puzzled that how she had changed the topic but he chose to ignore it, "Bruce is _there_," He motioned towards where the man stood.

It didn't take Kate time to know that Bruce Wayne stood between a crowd of beautiful women who seemed to be drooling over him.

Though, an alarm rang in her mind when Dick's hand slid below her hip. She mentally cursed when he touched the edge of the gun.

"What's _that_?" The Romani asked, shooting her a pressing look.

"Nothing!" She quickly spat, whirling him and herself around.

The music playing in the background started to irritate her. Taking a hold of the situation, Kate began, "Our talk this morning, Mr. Grayson." Her voice went sweet all of a sudden.

"I still firmly believe that I should _know_ about the pass code,"

As the music flowed around them, Dick gracefully pulled her into a dip. "Why do you wanna know about that?" He narrowed his steely blue eyes at her.

Kate smiled as she peered into those orbs, "As your personal assistant it is my duty to know about everything my work as well as the place I work in." She grinned.

He pulled her back up, their noses touching. "Well I guess I can tell you," He pondered before smirking. "It's Thomas and Mary." He told her.

Though, he felt amused when her eye gave out a sparkle.

He was taken back when the blonde pecked his cheek, an enormous grin tugging her lips.

Kate was _happy_. She was damn happy. She'd just gotten what she came for. Now all she needed to do was to wait for a few days and then strike for Wayne's Tech factory. The blonde, however frowned as the raven dancing with her tried to capture her lips in a kiss.

Biting her lower lip, she stomped her foot on his toes.

"Ow!" Dick hissed, letting go of her and focusing his attention on his aching toe.

Kate knew how to act, "Oh I'm so _sorry_!" She could've gotten a job in a movie, "I knew I shouldn't have tried to dance!"

As Dick tried to tell her that it was okay while trying to soothe the pain in his toe, Kate saw someone she hadn't seen since she'd gotten here. And for some very odd reason, she could feel butterflies flutter in her stomach when his emerald-green eyes landed on her.

Jason was leaning against the wall, his hands stuffed into the pockets of black pants. She noticed something about him then.

There was a _white_ streak in his hair that hung above his forehead.

She was sure he didn't have it when he was younger. Maybe he _dyed_ it?

Kate saw him grunt before walking off to the stairs. Eager to follow him, Kate looked over at Dick from her shoulder, "I need to visit the restroom," Not even waiting for his answer, she scurried off to the stairs.

_Weird_, Kate thought as she walked along the dark halls. This hotel has thousands of light bulbs and this hall is so dark.

Shaking it off, she reached the balcony. She wanted to surprise Jason. Like all the Wayne family members did to startle each other.

Kate took silent steps, smirking like a devil.

"_What_ do you want?" His voice was snappy, almost irritating as he turned around.

Jason glared at her.

Kate blinked, "How'd you know I was there?" She questioned, curious.

He cocked an eyebrow, "Try not to breathe so heavily when you're trying to sneak on somebody," He advised, eyes fixed on her.

"What are you doing here anyway?" He questioned.

"I can ask you the same thing,"

"I'm just here for some fresh air,"

"Then I guess I'm here for some fresh air too,"

He glared at her and she glared back while adding a smirk as well.

Rolling his eyes, Jason turned towards the outer view of the Hotel. He began fishing for something in his pocket before pulling out a packet of cigarettes.

With the little help from he lighter, he lit it up. "You smoke?" He asked casually, smirking.

And he was not expecting it when Kate slid out a cigarette from the packet he held before lightening it up and pressing it between her lips.

"Thanks," She tossed him smile.

The second former Robin stared at her for a second, trying to digest that fact that she was confidently smoking without a care in the world. Sending her an amused glance, he looked out, admiring the bright lights flickering in the darkness of a moonless night.

Kate,however, was eager to have a conversation. "Being Bruce Wayne's ward must be pretty fun, huh?" She wanted to nudged him in the ribs but decided not to do so.

He looked down at her making her feel how unfair it was that boys got more taller than girls. "It's just okay, I guess." Jason mumbled.

She was about to reply when he beat her to it.

"You know," Jason mused as he saw her blow a puff of smoke from her mouth, "It's like I _know_ you..."

That sentence clicked Kate as she stared up at him, ignoring the way her stomach began doing summersaults.

Green eyes peered deep into blue ones.

"But I don't remember you,"

The blonde could feel a sharp tug at her chest. "Well," She sighed before pulling the cigarette away from her lips. She pondered to tell him who she was, in the hope he might remember her.

"Actually-"

A loud bang rang around, startling the two.

Jason snapped his head to the other side, eyes narrowed, "What was _that_?" He looked back at her.

"Stay here," He growled before storming off to find the source of the sound.

And of course Kate wasn't going to listen, so following her rebellious personality, she followed behind to see what was happening.

Standing straight on the stair case, Kate was shocked to see a group of men wearing black standing down in the large room. But when she saw the look of fear on everyone's faces, she judged that they were all uninvited guests.

"Alright ya rich pigs! Stuff everything ya got in this bag here," The robber shouted.

Yup, security in Gotham was poor. Even in a _stupid_ French Hotel.

"No one'll get hurt unless someone tries to do something stupid!"

Kate's nails dug into the grill of the staircase when the robber tried to snatch a purse from a woman.

The woman gave out an ear-piercing scream, resisting against the man's action. Blood began to mix in her blue orbs when the robber reached down in his pocket.

She knew what he was searching for.

Her hand went to her hip, fingers tracing the cool metal straped to it.

Bruce Wayne gritted his teeth as the robber pulled out a gun and pointed it towards the screaming woman. He was in his civilian identity and so were his boys. They all were sitting ducks.

He felt useless as the gunshot hissed through the air. But the millionaire's eyes grew wide when the robber fell to the ground, _dead_.

All heads snapped up to the staircase only to meet nothing. But Bruce was sure someone had been there.

"Oh shit! Joe's dead!" One the robber's shouted.

The man who seemed to be their leader barked as he held out his gun, "Okay, which one of ya has a pistol?!" He demanded.

He whipped his head at his fellows, "The shot came up from there," He hissed, "I'll go up and check it out while ya all do yar work!"

With that he ran to the staircase, climbing the stairs and heading for the halls.

What he wasn't expecting when he entered the dark hallway, was a sharp pull at his shoulder. As he tried to regain his balance, he saw _eyes_. But those eyes made his blood run cold.

Those eyes looked _bloodthirsty_.

* * *

A scream was heard, making chills run down everyone's spines and that's when the lights went out, darkness dominating everything in the room.

Taking it as an opportunity, the dark knight of Gotham sprung into action. He didn't need light to see where his enemies were. With swift movements, he knocked the robbers out.

And in the matter of few seconds the lights flickered up again. Bruce knew now. He knew that someone had messed with the power supply of the hotel before turning it back on.

Everyone stood in the room, frozen as they stared at the unconscious bodies of robbers lying at their feet. However, nobody seemed to notice that the Wayne family members were not standing on their previous positions anymore.

* * *

It wasn't long when the police came, prying everyone out from the building.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. I am very sorry," Bruce apologized to his guests who were leaving.

Kate was watching him from a few feet away. To her, Bruce still hadn't changed at all. He was still the same except for a few wrinkles on his face. Though, she wondered if his heart was still as big as before.

Heavy sigh escaping her lips, she was about to head home when someone yelled her name. She whirled around, a smile stretching on her lips to see the person.

"Is everything okay, Jason?" She cocked her head, smiling.

In return, Jason tossed her a smirk pulling out something from his pocket. She was startled to see that it was her bracelet. "You dropped _this_," He smirked, waving the artificial bracelet.

He tossed it to her.

"Oh, I think it must've fell," She gave an uneasy look, slipping the bracelet back on her wrist. "Thanks for finding it." She thanked him.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Jason shrugged, "No problem." He glanced at the police. "Uh... sorry for the whole drama and everything today,"

"It's alright. It's _nothing_ new in Gotham."

She wasn't expecting it when he asked, "You want me to drop you home?"

"That's sweet but I can walk."

Kate was about to leave when the former Robin smirked. "You really look _beautiful_,"

The blonde didn't know why she giggled all of a sudden at the praise. Actually, she was surprised that how many people had praised her today but when he had said it, she gave out an actual giggle. A symptom of happiness which wasn't fake or forced.

Jason was a bit amused when a faint blush dusted her cheeks, "Thanks," She smiled, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear.

* * *

"We found this!" One of the officer's called out to his boss.

Commissioner Gordon took off his glasses, eyes widening at the mass of dead flesh infront of him.

The body was of the robber. The one that had gone upstairs. He was just found dead with unshed tears in his eyes as well as scratches and marks on his face. His mouth was twisted open into an 'O' as if he had met a monster. Blood oozed out from the corner of his eyes, his right cheek sliced open showing his gums and teeth.

"Who ever did that was _not_ human," Gordon deadpanned, scowling.

He looked at his men, "Did you find anything else?"

One of them shook his head, "Other then _that_, we found nothing." He answered.

Rubbing his aching temples, Gordon mumbled a curse as he glared at the dead body. "I think it's time we call Batman," His scowl deepened.

* * *

**A\N: **This all took at least... well! In all honesty, I have no idea! My exams are gonna start and their gonna take up whole October so don't expect any updates. Sorry for the long delay! Kudos to you if you know who Thomas and Mary are ;)


	9. Flames By the Enemy

"What did you do?" He growls, masked eyes glaring daggers at her.

In return, a smile tugs her lips. Flipping her red pony tail over her shoulder, she grins. "Nice to see you again too, Hood." Bloodlust says, pushing the gun back in its holster.

Red Hood glares down at the dead body before looking back at her. "You're coming with me," He snaps, reaching out and grabbing her wrist.

Bloodlust doesn't pull back, but without any snappy comment or argument, allows herself to be dragged by him.

The moon hangs in the dark sky, shining in all its beauty when Bloodlust starts, "So where are you taking me?" She's calmer than usual.

The man keeps pulling her as he walk forward, "Arkham," He answers.

She frowns but sighs in response. The red-head rolls her grey orbs before cocking her head up and noticing that he isn't wearing is helmet today (not that she minds or anything) but she can't help but wonder why is he so serious today?

Was it because she killed that man? She hopes not cause in her opinion, he had deserved it.

Red Hood snaps her back to reality, "Batman's seriously tired of your shit," He eyes her menacingly.

He receives a sigh from the girl, "Like I'm not tired with his shit," She mumbles before wincing when he gives her a violent shake.

_Someone's in a bad mood today_, she thinks.

"Don't you dare talk about him like that!" He warns her.

The grey-eyed vigilante smirks, "Aw! Does the big bad Red Hood feel bad cause I insulted his Daddy?" She coos teasingly.

"Shut up!" Red Hood snaps in anger.

He was going to throw her in jail. Her killing rate was increasing from day to day. Even Gotham Newspapers had started talking about her. Some of the people thought she was an evil mastermind and the Justice League should stop her, while others said that she was doing a great job by killing the criminals that Batman simply tossed in jail.

"Hood," Bloodlust clicks her tongue as she stands infront of the masked man.

The red-head bits her bottom lip as he grimaces. "You and me both know, you don't want to throw me in jail."

The Red Hood glares down at her, hand firmly clasped on her wrist.

Bloodlust continues, "This city needs me." She cocks her head, "You know? I became Bloodlust because of you," She's slightly amused when he shoots her an incredulous look.

"When I heard how you killed criminals, I was so happy, so glad that finally someone was doing something right!" He doesn't say a word in reply.

Sighing, she keeps on going, "But then you joined Batman and then you grew… _soft_,"

Red Hood was not soft.

"Someone needs to kill these monsters otherwise people will die every night," Her voice is so smooth and sweet, "Please let me be. Please let me clean this shitty place up so all of us won't have broken souls," She can believe she's begging.

"Batman wouldn't understand. He never understands. But you will because you've been through what I am now,"

His jaw clenches tightly, "There is a thing called '_law'_! Crimes can be controlled by the law!" Red Hood snarls in her face.

Bloodlust stares into the white domino mask as he stares back, a scowl framing his face.

She extends her arm, her free hand cupping his left cheek. Her fingers are so cold, their freezing. She pushes herself closer to him, so close that he could feel her breath tickling his lips. And for some freaking reason, he wanted to close the distance between them.

He mentally curses for not putting on his helmet.

Her voice was so low, "The _crime _and the _law_ here…" She murmurs softly, caressing his warm cheek, "They're all _twisted _up in each other like a _maze_."

Blankly staring at her, Red Hood tries to absorb the words she'd just said.

Bloodlust smiles as the grip of his hand loosened on her wrist and he released her.

"Leave," Red Hood deadpans.

She gives her shoulders a bounce, a smirk growing on her lips. "See you around, Hood." Bloodlust beams before skidding off.

Red Hood watches her walk away until she disappears from sight. A heavy sigh leaves his mouth as he runs his fingers through his hair, eyes locked on the brightly shining moon.

His com-link bursts into life, "Red Hood, did you encounter someone?" Red Robin inquires.

He shakes his head, "No. It's _all_ clear." And damn, he knows he's lying.

* * *

Stretching her arms over her head, Kate stifles a yawn as she walks through the streets of Crime Alley.

A bag pack hangs from her shoulder as she walks towards her house, kicking a stone along the way.

She's starting to get used to this vigilante job. She feels very satisfies with it. It makes her feel like she's alive. She feels happy stabbing people to their deaths. What worries her is Blake. She doesn't know how to make him understand when she comes home in the middle of a night.

Afraid that someone will hurt him in her absence, she strictly advised him that he won't open the door for anyone. She knew he needed her. But Gotham needed Bloodlust. Gotham needed Bloodlust _more_ than Batman.

_Batman._

The word makes her mouth bitter. A small growl escapes her throat, her eyes flashing red for a brief second.

"Blake," Kate says, standing infront of the door. "Open up!"

She waits for a second, knowing that it took him time to get out of bed and come down stairs.

A few seconds past. "Blake!" She shouts this time.

No response.

Mumbling a curse, the blonde raises her fist to knock at the door but before she could even knock it, the door creaks open by a gust of slow wind.

Her eyebrows knit together, "Blake?" She says more carefully this time as she enters the house.

Kate switches on the lights and the sight before her nearly makes her eyes pop out of their sockets.

Everything was broken, beaten and messed up. It was like a tornado had hit the house.

The bag drops to the ground as her mouth hangs open with eyes as wide as saucepans. "Blake!" She yells, running into the house.

She can literally hear her heart beat against her ribs, "Blake!" Her breath is fast now and her body's starting to go numb.

The blonde finally sees him lying on the ground, beaten just like everything in the house. A small stream of blood is flowing from the side of his forehead as he lays unconscious around the mess of furniture.

She kneels down, pulling him into her lap. "Blake! Who did this to you?" She asks worriedly, rubbing his cheek.

He's alive but his heartbeat is weak.

Without wasting a second, she strips the end of her jeans before wrapping it around his bleeding wound. "Oh Blake," Kate mourns, gripping him tightly.

That's when she smells something and an alarm rings in her head.

_Petroleum._

She snaps her head up, pulling the boy up in her arms. They needed to get out of there, fast. But before she can even stand, a spark seemingly from nowhere, flies in the atmosphere and the next thing the blonde knows is that fire is devouring everything around her.

Kate bolts towards the door, her heart beating like a hammer but the fire is already there, welcoming her with an enormous sick smile.

"Shit," She curses, running up the stairs.

Slamming the door shut behind her, Kate looks around. The fire hasn't reached the room yet, maybe they could _escape_, and maybe they could live without _burning_ like a candle's thread.

Kate pulls Blake tightly in her arms as she looks at the window. But oh God, she doesn't have her utility belt. She'd left it lying there with the fire.

Smoke begins to enter the room followed by the fiery flames.

Kate coughs as the smoke blurs her vision. She's trying not to inhale it but she can't. A human needs oxygen. But she wasn't a human, she was a demon. Demons loved fire but Kate didn't. Not now at least.

She slumps against the wall, tears streaming down her cheeks.

_So this is what they call karma, huh?_ She thinks bitterly.

She's suddenly that girl. That weak girl from ten-years back, that girl who sat outside with her little brother in her arms, sobbing over her parent's deaths.

Kate clutches Blake tightly, pressing him into her chest. "Help!" She screams.

"Somebody help us!" _She's weak._

_"Fire!" Someone please save Blake._

They all could hear her. She knows no one in Crime Alley helps anyone. No one would help her or her younger brother. They all will die in this enormous fire and then get buried into the soil like every other man who walks on this Earth.

Her ears perk up when she hears someone _crash_ through the window, entering the room. And just before losing consciousness, Kate swears if she survives this, she'll tear the person who did this to them limb from limb.

* * *

White coats swish everywhere with white doors opening and closing, even people are walking over a clear white tiled floor. There is a strange smell in there, a smell you get from old medicines. People here are wearing masks; they're not wearing masks because they will fight against injustice. They're wearing masks to protect themselves from the germs that pollute the smelly air around them, to protect them from diseases.

Stretchers are coming in and out along with wheelchairs running around the halls. Some people are sobbing while some are happy. It's a busy place, filled with busy people.

Jason sits on the blue wooden bench, fists holding up his chin as he glares at the big white door infront of him.

He _hates_ the hospital.

He doesn't have his mask and he has stripped off his jacket to avoid suspicion. The emerald-eyed young man had stepped into the hospital with an unconscious boy and girl in his arms. He had literally shouted at the _busy_ doctors to look at the patients he had brought in.

They all knew he was Bruce Wayne's adoptive son and since this hospital ran by his charity funds, the patients are at once taken in for treatment.

Jason was unsure why they were all so selfish. They all wanted money, nothing else than that. Well, he damned that person who would allow someone to lose their life so he could get some shitty cash.

"Jason," He looks up just to see his old mentor.

"Hi, Bruce." He says flatly.

The he sees his enemies slash siblings. "How're they doing?" Tim asks, reaching him.

Jason shrugs, "Dunno," He shifts his gaze from him to Dick. "The doctor said Kate's lungs have inhaled a lot of smoke while Blake is seriously injured,"

"How has he gotten injured?" Damian questions while frowning.

Again, Jason bounces his shoulders, "I don't know. When I found them, the kid was beaten and bruised."

"Beaten? Did someone beat him?" Bruce's brows furrow.

Jason glares at them all. "Do I look like Google to you all?! You're just gonna throw in questions and expect me answer?!" He sneers at them.

Jason looks around before getting up and inching closer to them. "I thought about visiting Crime Alley before coming back patrol and when I get there," He makes a wild hand gesture, "There's a house on fire and the next thing I know, I'm breaking in the top window and saving their sorry asses,"

Pointing towards the door where Kate and Blake were admitted, he huffs, "And voila! I found your secretary and her lil brother nearly getting eaten by fire."

He glares at Tim when he changes the topic, "The question is; how the fire started?" He muses, scratching his chin.

Jason rolls his eyes, "Ask the world's greatest detective," He mumbles under his breath when Dick nudges him in the ribs.

When he shoots him a glare, the Romani responds by bobbing his towards Bruce who's giving him the infamous bat glare.

"What do you think Father?" Damian lifts his chin up to look at him.

Bruce narrows his eyes and Jason knows his 'Batman mode' is turning on. He's about to answer when a woman walks up to them.

"I believe you're the one who brought in the two patients," She asks, straightening the round glasses on her nose.

Jason cocks his head, "Yeah. That's me."

The woman eyes them all before clicking her pen on the notepad she was holding, "The blonde girl is fine now. She'll wake up after a few minutes," She looks up at them all, eyes settling on Bruce, "The boy however, has gotten far more serious injuries especially his forehead." She tells them.

Damian scowls.

"He may take sometime but other than that, he is fine." She's just about to leave when Dick stops her.

He tosses her a smile, "How did he get that bruise on his forehead?" He inquires.

The woman answers, "According to our results, something collided with his head or maybe someone had beaten him with a metal rod perhaps?" She sighs before leaving, her white coat swishing as she walked away.

Jason sighs, "I guess someone broke into the house and then set it on fire?" He suggests.

"Maybe," The millionaire replies, thinking.

There was a brief silence when Dick pipes up, "So I guess, we should call Alfred that we're bringing in guests?" He asks, grinning.

Bruce whips his head at him, "Absolutely not!" He disagrees, glaring at his eldest.

"Bruce! Someone tried to kill them! We can't leave them insecure!"

Looking around and confirming that no one was listening to their conversation, Bruce gives them all the bat glare. "I'll get her a new house. You know how our 'activities' are. We can't afford anybody living in the Manor." He whispers loud enough for them to hear.

"So our 'activities' became more important than saving lives?"

The man glares at the Romani. He parts his lip to argue when Damian decides to enter the conversation. "I cannot believe I'm saying this, but Grayson is right Father." He says.

All heads snap to him. Dick can't help but smile, "Thanks, Dami."

Damian glares at him before turning his attention to his parent, "If we be careful they will find out nothing but for now, I think it would be wise to let them stay at the Manor as we are unsure if anybody wants to kill Blake or his sister." He grimaces, eyes locked on Bruce who seems to be pondering on his decision.

Alas, Bruce sighs, "Alright, fine. They can stay at the Manor but," They all had gotten kind of used to the bat glare. "None of them are ever to find out about any of our activities,"

He receives nods.

* * *

"Woah." He breaths, eyes wide as dinner plates as he enters the Manor.

Ignoring the slight headache, Blake spins around, grinning like a madman, "This place is huge!" He exclaims, throwing his arms in the air.

Damian arrogantly, gives out a "Tt." The blue-eyed boy smirks as his friend stares everything in awe.

Jason grins at the two before looking over at the blonde who's looking more than embarrassed because of her brother's behavior, "I'm sorry about Blake." She starts, uncomfortable.

"He likes to over exaggerate things,"

And Jason so wants to make fun of her.

"Hey their kids! Let them be." Tim smiles as they walk in to the living room.

Kate smiles in answer when an old man approaches her. "Hello Miss. Katherine." Alfred smiles softly.

Blake skids beside his sister as he looks up at Alfred. "Hello to you too, Master Blake." Alfred welcomes the boy.

Looking at the old man with confusion, Blake says, "Why are you calling me master?" He questions the butler.

"Because when anyone is in this house, I refer to them with Master or Miss." Alfred says softly.

The ten-year looks even more confused, "Are you the only servant? Where are the others?"

Kate glares down at him, "Blake!" She hisses and they all watch amused when the brown-haired boy winces. "What? I'm just asking?"

The blonde scowls and is ready to snap when Alfred interrupts her, "He's only a child, Miss. Katherine. Dont worry. I do not feel offended." He tries to cool her down.

Kate sighs, "I'm sorry if you feel burdened by me staying here. But Mr. Grayson really forced me to stay. If you'd like, I can leave now?" She inquires, not catching the scowl Blake gives.

Alfred shakes his head, "Of course not! It has been quite a while a female has stayed in the Manor. I feel quite happy to be in your service."

The butler looks at Dick who has been silent through all the conversation, "Master Richard, can you please guide Miss. Katherine and Master Blake to their rooms?" He inquires.

The Romani nods, "Sure thing, Alfred." He cocks his head at the blonde, "Come on, Kate."

Biting her lower lip, she begins to walk with them with Blake running ahead.

There was a white strap pasted on Blake's forehead, blood drops tainted over it. The more Kate looks at it, she feels her chest hurt. She's still worried for him that he'll hurt himself. He's a child. He's hurt but he doesn't know that he is.

"This place is amazing!" Blake cheers happily.

Her cheeks heat up when she heard Dick chuckle. "So you have no idea how the fire started?" The Romani inquires from her.

She shakes her head, "No, I don't,"

"And how Blake ended up beaten?"

Her teeth grit together but instead of showing how angry she is, she answers nonchalantly, "Sorry but no,"

Kate shrugs, "I just come to my house and the next thing I know, Blake's bleeding and fire's everywhere," The blonde shudders, remembering the horrid scene.

The blue-eyed young man inquired, "Do you know who saved you?" he narrowed his eyes.

She bounces her shoulders, "The smoke was making my head hurt," She tells him, "It's a miracle I'm alive," The blonde smiles.

Dick nods as they reach a door. He moves closer, turning the door knob. "Here's your room," He switches on the lights.

Kate bites the insides of her cheeks as she stares at the beautiful room. The room is quite fancy in her opinion, with navy blue curtains, a dressing table on which many perfumes lay, a matching blue carpet and a king sized bed.

She clears her throat,"Err... This is a bit too much," She gazes up at him, "we can adjust in a small room,"

He laughs, "Alfred's the one who chooses the rooms. Not me."

Paying no mind to the adults, Blake dashes into the room. He couldn't believe the fact he was going to sleep in such a room. He almost thought he was dreaming. The boy didn't take time running into the bathroom.

Kate offers Dick a tight smile, "I don't think I'll ever be able to forget this favour, Mr. Grayson," She looks around, "Thank you very much." The blonde praises.

"Hey, it's the least me and Bruce could do," The raven answers, grinning.

"I can get myself a house. Me and Blake don't need to stay here,"

"Just relax. You guys can stay here as much as you like,"

A cheery cry interrupts their conversation.

"Kate!" Blake cries happily from the bathroom. "They have _hot_ water!"

Dick smiles at the blonde who buries her flushed face in her hands.

"I'm so sorry," Kate gives a nervous laugh.

He's about to respond when an all to familiar voice interrupts him. "Master Richard, Master Bruce is calling you." Alfred tells him, appearing with a silver tray in his hands.

Nodding, Dick flashes Kate a smile. "It would be better if you two get some rest," He walks to the door before saying, "Don't mind or anything but try and stay in your rooms at night. Kay?"

Kate feels confused but nodded nonetheless.

Alfred offers a warm smile as he places the tray over the table, "I suggest after such a busy day, you will like some milk." He holds up a glass of milk in her direction.

She gives an uneasy look before calling Blake and handing the glass to him. "Drink it," Kate places a hand on her hip.

But before the younger boy could argue, Alfred interferes, "I've gotten one for you to Miss Katherine." he hands her another glass.

Kate shot him a puzzled look, "I don't like milk," She frowns.

Blake rolls his eyes, "And you tell me to drink it everyday!"

"It's important for growing children," She says flatly, ruffling his hair.

"Milk is important for everyone. You should drink it as well." The old butler smiles.

Kate huffs but drinks the milk anyway.

"There," She licks her lips, handing the old man the empty cup, "I drank it."

She shoots Blake an amused look as he stares at his empty glass, "What's wrong, Blake?" She asks, patting his back.

The boy cocks his head up to meet her gaze, "This milk tastes weird," Blake points out, not liking the flavour resting in his mouth.

For a moment, Kate thought she saw Alfred colour. "It tasted fine to me," She crosses her arms over her chest.

The butler doesn't comment as he places the empty glasses on the tray before walking to the door. "Goodnight," He says before shutting the door close.

And Kate doesn't know why she feels so unsatisfied.

* * *

"All done," She mumbles, placing the pen down.

Kate glances at Blake who's sleeping on the large comfy bed.

She rolls her eyes when she remembers his kiddish attitude today. But she can't help but think his attitude was right in a way. They had been living in poverty since shewas only twelve, the time when her Father was kicked out of Arkham For miserably failing in bringing sanity back in The Joker. Then being sent to Gotham's orphanage wasn't that much nice either. Neither him or she had ever gotten much pampered. So of course, these facilities impressed him.

A warm smile tugs her lips as she looks over at his sleeping body. She loved him more than anything in the world.

Kate glances over the clock. In return, the clock greets her with the time, 10:31 PM.

She needs to go. _Bloodlust_ is needed.

A heavy sigh escapes her lips. Her costume had been eaten up by the fire like everything else in the house. "Great! Now I need to get a new costume," Kate grumbles bitterly.

She fishes in her pocket, pulling out the glamor charm that had somehow managed to save itself from the fiery flames.

Kate gives a yawn.

Her eyes widen. It was strange that she got so _sleepy_ this early.

Shrugging the feeling off, she pushes herself up from the chair when her eyelids drop for a second. "What's happening?" Kate asks herself, brows furrowing.

The feeling of sleep washes over her again making her confuse.

Kate is more than surprised when her head begins to pound and her eyes start to ache. It's like she hasn't slept for ages.

"B-Blake?" She calls out to her brother.

He doesn't respond.

Kate calls at him louder this time, "Blake..."Her tongue doesn't want to cooperate with her commands.

Her legs feel like jelly and she places her hands over the table to give her support. The world spins for a second and Kate has an urge to sleep. She tries to resist the feeling but her efforts go in vain.

She collapses back into the chair, face hitting the table hard as she falls into a pit darkness.

* * *

**A\N: I am so sorry guys! I was thinking to give you all a double update this week but let's just say that the universe hates me and doesn't want me to update this story and neither does it want you all to read it -_-**

** Also, please don't curse in reviews. I like my reader's feedback neat and clean :)**

**I'll try my best to update next week! No promises, but I'll try! Actually, if my laptop gets fixed I'll update tomorrow :3**

**Thanks for reading, my lovelies!**


	10. Spill Blood And Spill Your Secrets

**A\N**: Now this chapter has some blood scenes. There are more to come, guys! :) I have no idea why I'm smiling as I just said that there are parts where people get killed. *Shrugs* Meh... _enjoy_!

* * *

"Miss. Katherine, it's time to wake up."

Upon hearing the butler's voice, Kate shifted in her chair. She pushed herself away from the table, yawning. "M' awake!" She called out to him.

The blonde stretched her arms before bringing her hands to her neck and producing a crack. Her face twisted in disgust as her eyes landed on the papers she'd been working on all night, which were now drowned in her drool.

Kate glared at the papers before wiping off the saliva that had been resting on her cheek.

Lazily, she glanced over at the clock as she got up from her chair. Suddenly, it hit her.

She snapped her head back at the clock, realization slapping her hard across the face. "_What_ the hell?!" Kate stared at the clock which teasingly read the time, 10:01 _AM_.

Placing a hand on her temple, she stood there, guilt washing all over her. How could've it happened? How could've she _overslept_?

Just about to vomit a number of curses, the knock at the door stopped her.

"Please get fresh, Miss. Katherine and come down stairs with Master Blake."

Kate took in a deep breath, "Sure, Alfred."

Looking back at the clock, she ran a hand through her hair. She overslept. Katherine Flynn never overslept. Shit, Bloodlust never overslept!

A scowl graced the blonde's features.

She was going to find out what had happened.

* * *

Forcing a pretty smile, Kate greeted him. "Good Morning, Mr. Grayson."

Dick grinned at her, "Good Morning to you too, Kate." He tossed her a friendly smile as she sat next to him.

Kate smiled back before looking around and analyzing her surroundings. Bruce sat in the infront of the dining table, reading a huge black and white newspaper. He had only talked to her in the hospital and she was quite sure that when he had been forced to offer her live here with them. She didn't want to stay here either. She was going to blow her cover if she did.

Blake however, was in a very carefree mood with them all. Kate did not enjoy that.

It didn't take time when the other family members began to walk in.

Tim was first, in his simple clothes and hair ruffled messily. "Good Morning, guys!" He welcomed them all, sitting across Blake.

Kate was slightly amused when Jason walked in, hair gone wild and clothes all wrinkled. He yawned rather than greeted, "G'morni'n." He said, scratching his head and sitting beside his younger adoptive brother.

"At least _try_ to look like a human if you are not one, Todd." Damian scolded, stalking over to them all.

It was _weird_ in her opinion.

Kate had never been in the company of so many people. It was a strange feeling.

Alfred began serving breakfast and Kate swore that when she had bit into that pancake, it was almost like heaven in her mouth.

"So how'd the night went?"

The blonde looked up from her food to Tim, "It was… _nice_." She answered with a smile.

Kate couldn't help but say, "But it was kind of weird. I mean, I felt _really_ sleepy." The blonde felt slightly suspicious when they all exchanged glances and smirks.

And right when she was about to ask about it, Blake interrupted her. "I slept great last night!" The boy chirped like a little bird.

"That's nice," Dick chuckled in response.

Bruce placed the newspaper down, "Have you done the files given to you, Katherine?" He asked, taking the cup of his daily black coffee.

Kate colored, "Uh… I'll do them asap, Mr. Wayne." She mentally cursed herself for sleeping on the table.

Dick was the first to take her side, "Oh come on Bruce! It's Sunday. _Relax_ a little," He grinned, not even flinching when the man shot him a glare.

Blake stuffed his face with pancakes before looking at his sister, "You mean the papers you _drooled_ on last night?" The boy inquired, swallowing.

Jason coughed in his hand, holding back laughter while Damian merely looked disgusted. Tim shook his head, smiling weakly as Dick grinned like a madman.

Bruce's features remained as hard as a rock.

Cheeks heating up, Kate glared at her sibling. "No, not _those_ papers, Blake." She bit out a lie.

In return, the ten-year old simply shrugged.

* * *

Tim was sitting on the lawn chair, a book in hand as he read through it. He liked Sundays. No work, no school just a good time for enjoying a great ol' book and at night, fighting bad guys.

His gaze travelled from the book to Damian who stood in the mid of the block, listening to something Blake was trying to tell him.

He began to hear what they were talking about.

"You've _never_ played tag before?" Blake asked, giving the other boy a disbelieving look.

Damian lifted his chin up, "No. How do you _win_ this game?"

"It's just for _fun_! You don't win!" Blake tried to make him understand.

In response, Damian crossed his arms over his chest, "What is the point of doing something if you cannot win?" He asked sarcastically.

Blake was puzzled when Damian took a step away from him.

He was about to ask him why'd he done that when all of a sudden, he was tackled to the ground.

Kate playfully glared down at her brother who was now pinned beneath her, "So I drooled all over the papers, _huh_?" She mused, glaring daggers at him.

"K-Kate!" Blake wiggled. "I didn't know I was not supposed to say _that_! I'm sorry!"

The blonde cocked her head, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Sorry, eh?" She smirked. "You shall pay for embarrassing your sister, Blake Flynn!" She laughed darkly as he squirmed.

Damian stood beside them, hands fisting in his pockets. If she was going to hurt him, he was not going to hold back in beating her.

Tim on the other hand, watched them with interest.

"No!" Blake cried dramatically when Kate nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck. And soon she began tickling him.

"K-kate! St-stop!" The brown-haired boy laughed, squiggling beneath her. "I c-can't breathe!"

"I know!" Kate laughed with him, tickling him as he laughed like a madman.

At the end, she pulled her brother into her arms. "You're such an idiot, Blake." Kate giggled, hugging him tightly.

The boy continued to try and escape his sister's clutches.

"Kate! Lem'me go!" Blake struggled.

The young-woman shook her head, "Nope," She answered simply, resting her chin on his head.

Like he was a small teddy-bear, Kate hugged him before showering a number of kisses over his face. "I love you _so_ much, Blake!" She cooed, smiling.

It had been a while she hadn't played with him.

However, Blake's face had flushed a deep crimson. "Kate…!" He whined, trying to break free.

"Yes…" She mimicked his whine, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"Not infront of Damian," Blake told her, blushing like crazy.

Kate laughed in response before turning her attention towards Bruce's son. Damian was watching them with interest as if thinking what kind of punishment was _this_?

The blonde finally released the blushing child, "Well, I guess Dami would like some hugs too." Kate smirked, reaching out to pull him into a hug.

She was definitely not expecting it when he grabbed her wrist and flipped her over like she was weightless.

Kate made a rough landing on her back, an '_oomph_' escaping her lips.

Blake rushed over to her side, "Damian! Why did you do that?!" He questioned as he helped her up.

In a flash, Tim was beside them. "Are you alright, Kate?" The teenager asked as the blonde dusted off her clothes.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She answered, giving Damian a shocked look.

Tim snapped his head at the boy, "That wasn't nice, demon." He glowered down at him.

Damian glared back at him, "Shut it, Drake." He snorted.

Teeth gritting together, Tim calmed himself down. Last thing he needed was blowing up his and Damian's cover.

"I'm sorry for that, Kate." He apologized, shooting a glare at his sibling.

Kate looked at them both. She had no idea how the boy had tossed her up like a doll. She felt kind of weak because of it.

Swallowing back a question, Kate let it slide. After all, she was living in their house. "It's alright. I shouldn't have gotten so frank," She smiled.

"I'm sure Dami didn't do it on purpose,"

Damian shot her a frosty glare, quite matching his Father's. "Stop calling me Dami," He hissed, scowling.

She was taken aback by his tone.

Tim sent the boy another glare, "What he means to say is that he prefers to be called Damian." He laughed it off, cooling the situation.

Kate looked highly amused. Ignoring his comment, she cocked her head at Tim. "I was going to take Blake to the amusement park, you wanna join us?" She offered.

Maybe making friendly relations with them will make her life easy.

Tim gave his shoulders a bounce, "Sure. I'd love to come." He smiled. He could always finish that book later.

He was a bit surprised when Kate looked over at Damian, "You wanna come too?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip.

Damian glared at her. "I will not."

"If you come I'll start calling you Mr. Wayne." Kate offered with a smirk.

That caught his attention. Looking up at her, Damian repeated, "You will call me Mr. Wayne?" He asked, liking the concept he'll be referred to like his Father.

"Yup,"

"Then I shall join you all in your pathetic trip,"

Kate resisted the urge to roll her eyes when Damian began walking ahead, calling them all to follow him.

This boy had some issues to work on.

* * *

First, he'd gotten such a good sleep on such an amazing bed. Then, he'd had an amazing breakfast and now here he stood, surrounded by rides he wanted to go on for ages.

Kate hardly got the time to take him out to play so this was quite like a lifetime opportunity to him.

"I _love_ amusement parks!" Blake beamed happily.

Kate smiled at his shining face before looking at the other boys. "So where do you all wanna go first?"

She wasn't expecting Damian to answer.

"We all should head to this roller coaster," The ten-year old held up a colored map of the area, "They say it is quite thrilling," He pressed his finger on the particular spot.

Kate gave him an amused look before taking the map from him.

Reading the ride's guidelines, she handed the map back, "This ride's not suitable for children. Maybe we can go somewhere else?"

Damian snarled in response, "I would like to go on this. I will go by myself if none of you join me." He threatened.

Tim knew he was serious so he did what he thought was best.

Taking Blake's hand in his, he tossed the elder girl a smile. "You know what? I'll take Blake to the other rides while you and Damian can go to that roller coaster."

Kate gave him a disapproving look. "I don't think—"

She stared as Tim had already started dragging Blake away from her.

Maybe she should go with them in case any of them got hurt or something. She was the adult so it was her responsibility to care of them all, right? Kate was still having an internal war when Damian snapped her out of it.

"Are you coming or not, Flynn?" He inquired, hands on his hips.

She looked down at him before sighing, "Yeah. Let's go,"

Damian backed away from her when her hand brushed with his, "_What_ are you doing?!" He demanded angrily.

Kate tossed him a dumb look, "I'm holding your hand." She quirked an eyebrow when his face scrunched up into a snarl.

"I am _not_ a child," He told her harshly, walking ahead towards the rides.

The blonde rolled her blue orbs, "You're not a child, you're just a _spoiled_ brat." She muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

* * *

"That was fun, wasn't it?!" Blake grinned at the ebony.

Tim shrugged, "I guess it was fun,"

The teenager began looking around as both of them stood infront of a souvenir shop. He was supposed to meet Kate and Damian here a few minutes ago.

Alas, he spotted them walking towards him. But he raised an eyebrow when he saw that they were soaked in water.

"Why are you two _wet_?" The ebony inquired as they approached him.

Kate grinned as she brought her hands up to squeeze her wet locks, "The roller coaster had a part where it dived into a pool," Water dripped from her hair as she twisted it.

"You don't say?" Tim smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

But the teenager was more than surprised to see a smallest of a smile on Damian's face, "It was quite amusing in my opinion," He said, settling his icy blue eyes on him.

It actually took time for Tim to absorb what he'd just said.

"Glad here that you liked it," The former Robin said to the current.

Kate wrapped her arms around herself, "I think we need to dry off," She laughed, shivering slightly.

Tim gave her a toothy grin. "How about you two get new clothes?" He gestured towards the small clothing shop.

"That is a good idea," Kate nodded in agreement.

* * *

The woman in the shop looked at the small group before turning her attention back towards her nails.

Blake spun on his heel, "Hey Damian! You mind if I get you some clothes?" He grinned at him.

Bruce Wayne's son nodded. With a speed that would've made the Flash jealous, Blake ran into the shop before appearing back with them.

"Here!" He handed the bundle of clothes into the other boy's arms.

"Tt." Was all Damian's response as he stalked towards the changing rooms, leaving a trail of water behind him.

Ignoring what had just happened; Kate pursed her lips, deciding which clothes to wear. There were enormous stalks of clothes infront of her. Finally, she managed to pick out two pieces of shirts and a pair of dark blue pants.

"Hey, Tim."

The teenager looked up at her, "Yeah?"

Holding up the two shirts, Kate inquired from him. "Which do you think is _better_?" She asked, showing him the pieces of clothing.

Tim's eyes widened slightly at her taste. "Woah," He couldn't help say. "Nightwing and Red Hood fan, _huh_?"

He had no idea why she grinned deviously. "Just tell me which shirt's better?"

Tim didn't know what to say. Firstly, he didn't have that much interest in clothing. Secondly, the shirts she'd picked had insignia's of his two elder brother's alter egos. He didn't know what to say much.

Blake decided to answer. "Wear _this_!" He said, holding up a black T-shirt with a golden Bat symbol.

Tim was highly surprised when she snatched the shirt away from him and threw it back into the stalk.

"I _hate_ Batman," The blonde growled before sighing. She looked back at the two shirts and placed back the blue one.

"Hood _wins_," Kate mumbled under her breath, pacing to the changing rooms.

A heavy sigh escaped Tim's lips as he leaned beside the wall. His cell phone buzzed in the pocket of his jeans. He fished it out and smiled. It was a message from Cassie.

Tim was about to respond when a voice called out to him.

"I am ready, Drake."

Tim looked up at Damian before turning his attention back to his cell phone. When again, he whipped his head back at him, eyes widening.

Damian stood there in a black and white Panda hoodie with black jeans. An adorable baby panda with huge anime green eyes was printed over the hoodie he wore, but Tim assumed he had no idea what he was wearing.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Damian questioned from the teenager, scowling.

Even his scowl looked cute in those clothes.

An enormous grin stretched over Tim's lips, "_No_ reason," He said calmly, holding back a fit of laughter.

He peeked at Blake from the corner of his eye who was equally grinning like him. He wanted to give the kid a golden medal.

"Come on, guys—"Kate stopped in mid sentence as she gaped at Damian with wide eyes.

Luckily, the blue-eyed boy did not catch the notion. He gave a frosty glare at the red-bat T-shirt she wore.

"Red Hood fan, I believe?" He snarled at her. "That man is _worthless_,"

Kate parted her lips to tell him what he was wearing when she saw Tim mouthing the word 'no' to her. "Uh…yeah, Red Hood is pretty awesome." She bit her lower lip to stop herself from erupting into laughter.

Damian glared at them all before pulling the hood up to cover his head.

No one dared to tell him that the hood had two panda ears sticking out from it.

* * *

Bringing the strange pink substance to his nose, Damian sniffed it. "What is this?" He narrowed his eyes at the others who were busy in eating it.

"It's called _cotton candy_," Tim replied, biting his own.

The child looked back at the cotton candy, scowling. "I do not think this is worth eating." He grumbled.

Blake rolled his eyes, "Aw come on! Damian, just taste it!"

Kate smiled when he hesitantly took a bite from it.

Damian stared at it, "It is delicious," He declared before taking a larger bite.

Giving her eyes a roll, Kate stood up and stretched her arms over her head. "I'll be right back." She said, walking off towards the bathrooms.

Upon entering the restroom, she looked around and saw no one was there. The blonde walked over to the basins before turning on the faucet.

Washing her hands, Kate heard the door behind her open.

She glanced over at the mirror. Her eyes widened when she saw three men behind her. Just when she was about to tell them that this was the girl's restroom, one of them pounced on her.

The blonde veered back, trying to understand what was happening. "What do you all want?!"

The other man tried to grab her and in response, Kate grabbed him by the back of his shirt and slammed him against the first man. The two came crashing against the bathroom mirror, shattering it into pieces.

"Get her, you fools!" The third man cried out to them, pulling out what seemed to be a dagger.

Kate's eyes narrowed as she went into a fighting stance.

The man shot the knife in her direction. Swiftly, she flipped over him and snatched the knife from his hand. She gave out a spin kick, her foot colliding with his cheek hard.

The man was sent tumbling backwards as his partner stood back up. Kate dodged another strike of a knife that nearly sliced her cheek.

In the next second, she'd grabbed a glass shard and had it pierced through the man's throat. A stream of blood erupted from the slice over his neck. Blood began dripping over the bathroom's tiles as the man struggled to keep his breath before dropping motionless over the floor.

"Get away from me!" Kate hissed at them, blue eyes burning a crimson red.

And yet, they didn't listen.

Gripping the knife tightly in her hand, she brought it up before stabbing it into the other man's gut. He stared blankly at her, his eyes lifeless, ruby red liquid tainting his shirt.

Kate stood back when two arms tugged at her hair and she nearly screamed when she felt as if it would be ripped out from her scalp.

"Mistress would not be pleased to hear what you did," The man whispered in her ear, pulling at her sunny locks.

Elbowing him in the ribs, Kate grabbed the back of his neck, her not human like nails digging into his skin. She kicked open the bathroom's door before pushing his head into the toilet.

The man kicked and beat at it, his words muffled by the dirty water. His struggles remained for a few minutes and soon his movements ceased.

Assuring herself that he was now dead, Kate released him.

The blonde bit her lip, her eyes sparkled blue as her ears and hands returned back into a human. Actually, she was human (a half that is). She just _wasn't_ sane.

Kate looked over at the mess she had created. Blood was everywhere, tinting the clear tiles and floor, the dead bodies of the man, the broken shards of the glass and her hands.

* * *

"I had so much fun!" Blake smiled, hand clasped with her sister's as they approached Wayne Manor.

The moon hung in the sky, accompanying the twinkling stars.

Damian arrogantly smirked, "It was quite enjoyable."

Kate and Tim shared a grin as they walked towards the Manor's door.

The door was opened by none other than Alfred. The butler greeted them all with a warm smile. "I hope you all enjoyed your trip," He said, settling his grey eyes on them.

However, his eyes stopped at Damian.

The ten-year old paid him no mind as he stomped into the Manor and towards his room.

Alfred looked his way before sending an amused look at the others, "I believe it is time for you to get your camera, Master Tim." He smiled at the ebony.

The raven-haired boy smirked evilly before walking off to get his camera.

Kate was about make a comment when Blake's yawn stopped her. She looked down over her brother, "Sleepy, Blake?" She cooed, pulling the boy up in her arms.

Blake was too tired to wonder how she had picked him up. "Yes," He answered, snuggling into her.

She cocked her head at the butler, "I'll take him up." With that, she walked off to the stairs to their room.

Kate had no idea why Jason had nearly spitted out his juice when he saw her. She didn't even pay him any attention when a suspicious smirk made its way to his face when he eyed the red-shirt she wore.

Looking over at her sleeping brother, Kate looked back at Alfred who held the two glass of milk on the silver tray.

"He's sleeping, Alfred. It's okay if he skips the milk this time." She smiled at the butler.

In return, the old man gave her a worried look. "Well, then you shall drink it." He held up the tray, his eyes fixed on Blake's sleeping form.

Taking the glass, the blonde gulped it down in one breath, "Thanks, Alfred." She thanked him, handing back the empty glass.

The butler merely nodded, "Good night, Miss. Katherine."

* * *

His eyes fluttered open and he gave out a yawn. Shifting to the other side, Blake glanced at his sister's sleeping figure. "Sis," He shook her softly.

She didn't reply.

"Kate, I'm thirsty." He whined, shaking her. "Wake up!" The girl didn't even stir.

Blake shot her a surprised look. Kate always woke up when he told her too. "Kate?" He said it again.

It was like she was in a very deep sleep.

The boy got off his bed, strolling to the door. His eyebrows knitted together when the door knob refused to turn. "What?" He tried to push the door open.

It was locked.

"Hey! Open up!" He called out, knocking at the door. "Someone _there_?!"

He and his sister were locked inside.

* * *

Walking on the sidewalk with shopping bags in her hands, Kate couldn't help but replay today's conversation with Blake in her mind.

The brown-eyed boy had told her that the door of their room had been locked at night. What surprised her was when he had said that he was trying to wake her up but she didn't even stir. She didn't believe him actually.

It wasn't like the Wayne family had locked them up. It wasn't… _was_ it?

The main thing that disturbed her was that she had, yet again, over slept. She had no idea how it was happening. Something wrong was going on and she needed to find out what was it.

The attack that had happened on her yesterday had made her aware that someone was trying to get to them. She didn't know why exactly. But if they were going to hurt Blake, she wouldn't mind tearing their limbs and shoving a bullet down their throats.

Kate was so lost in thought that she didn't even see a black limousine approaching her.

The window slid down, revealing a very beautiful woman with emerald-green eyes, "Hello," She smiled at her.

There was something very odd in her tone. Kate assumed it was a foreign accent.

The blonde quickened her pace, avoiding her.

She cursed when the limousine began to drive beside her. The woman again poked her head out, "I want to have a talk with you," She smirked, her eyes settling on her like a predator.

"My mum and dad told me not to talk to strangers," Kate snapped at the woman, eyes narrowed into a glare.

The woman's smile didn't even falter a bit, "I believe Bloodlust would love to talk," She chuckled softly.

Kate whipped her head at the woman, eyes wide as saucepans.

The woman pushed open the limousine's door, smirking. "Get in," She ordered.

And Kate did as she was told.

It was _nice_.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant was very nice. But sadly the blonde wasn't here to enjoy it.

The woman gave her a smile, holding up a bottle of wine. "Will you like some?" She offered, pouring the liquid in her glass.

Kate snorted, "No thanks." She refused, eyes fixed on the woman.

She chuckled in response, "So sorry. I forgot you liked beer more," She smirked, placing the glass bottle back on the table.

"The ones you kept stashed under the couch so your brother won't see them." The woman added venomously.

In a flash, Kate's hands had clenched the collar of her shirt.

"_You_!" The blonde barked, eyes red as blood and teeth as sharp as a lion's claws, "You set my house on _fire_!"

The woman didn't even flinch because of the bloodthirsty monster infront of her.

"You mean to say Miss. Pricks's house. Or should I say Mama P?" She asked smugly.

A growl escaped Kate's throat and she had a sudden urge to rip the woman's beautiful face apart.

Knowing what she was thinking, the woman smiled, "You do realize this restaurant is run by me? And with one order you'll be shot dead as well as your brother?" She questioned slyly.

Kate bit her tongue, releasing the woman and slumping back into her seat. A familiar metallic flavor was in her mouth now and Kate wondered if she had bit her tongue so hard that it had given out a leakage of blood.

The woman smiled, "My name is Talia Al Ghul." She introduced herself.

Kate barked in anger, "What do you want from me?!"

Talia's beautiful eyes sparkled as a smirk stretched over her lips, "I want _you_,"

* * *

**A\N**: This chapter is updated as promised. I don't know how long it'll take me to update again but I'll try! The next chapters are very important as well as quite messy. I know you'll love them! XD


	11. What Lies Beneath The Cowl

**A\N:** Look who _finally_ managed to update?! Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! You all rock!

* * *

Talia Al Ghul was a beautiful woman. She was confident, graceful and by all means _deadly_. She was everything thing the blonde wanted to be. But what Kate didn't want to be, was to be controlled by someone else. And Kate clearly knew that anything that went against her will was broken, bitten and ripped apart by her.

She wished she could do that with Talia.

To _break_ her, to _stab_ her and to make her _beg_ for mercy.

Sitting on the old wooden box, Kate gave out a deep breath, leaning against the wall of the dirty alleyway. Talia hadn't told her what she needed her for, she had just said that when required, the blonde would be called.

"Please let me _go_,"

Kate paid the bleeding man no mind, lost in her thoughts.

"I promise to be _good_,"

He was sobbing but she ignored him, her fingers tracing the blood stained blade of her knife.

"I promise to God that I'll _never_ kill..."

He was just another monster in Gotham.

"I'll _never_ do drugs..."

A soon to be dead monster to be exact.

"Just let me go..." He begged her as he lay bleeding on the cracked concrete, his eyes filled with tears. "Please don't kill me."

"Will you just shut _up_?!" Kate barked at him, eyes flashing red. "Can't you see I'm trying to _think_?!"

She narrowed her eyes as the man began to sob. He tried to get up and run as far as he could from her but his legs were broken. His bone crippled into sand. He couldn't even feel his toes. He was still weeping when a hard kick was slammed against his jaw. The man was sent flying to the opposite wall of the alleyway before falling back onto some trash cans.

"Idiot," Kate grumbled, glaring at his dead body before pushing herself off the old box.

Running a hand through her sunny locks, she started her walk to Wayne manner whilst thinking up excuses to explain why was she so late today.

* * *

The clock didn't bother her anymore. It didn't really. No matter how hard she tried to stay awake, she still dozed off and woke up to find the sun laughing at her. Something wrong as hell was happening with her. Kate knew it was and she was going to find out what.

"Hey Kate,"

The blue-eyed blonde was startled when something landed on her lap. She quickly jerked up in surprise only to see it was a remote control for a TV. Confusingly, she picked it up before shooting a look at the three boys bickering with each other. The boys being none other than Dick, Jason and Tim who seemed to be fighting over the TV channel.

From her stay at Wayne Manor, Kate had gotten to know that the Wayne boys had a thing for fighting with each other all the time. Apparently, they all had given each other names. The majority she heard were demon spawn for Damian, replacement and swan queen for Tim and she was pretty sure that Mr. Grayson's was golden boy. She'd heard them all from Jason. What she found funny was that he himself didn't have a name or if he did, then she hadn't heard it yet.

Bouncing off the comfy couch, Kate tossed the remote to Damian who simply smirked and began surfing different channels with Blake grinning beside him.

Kate totally ignored the groans from the three boys as she walked over to the kitchen.

Bruce Wayne was no where to be seen. The blonde assumed he was in his study, doing whatever millionaires do to make more money.

"Need any _help_, Alfred?" She asked, looking around the sparkling kitchen.

_Boredom_. It was all she got here. The only work given to her was by Mr. Wayne who assigned her small office papers some times. Kate had started to feel that she was getting rusty by lying around doing nothing all day.

The old butler gave her a warm smile as he stirred the yellowish mixture with a wooden spoon. "Can you please hand me a box of milk from the fridge, Miss. Katherine?" He asked, pouring some chocolate syrup in the bowl.

The blonde flashed him a smile as she strolled over to the fridge and pulled out an already opened box of milk.

"What're you making anyway?" She asked, settling her eyes on the old man.

"A _chocolate cake _for dessert."

Grinning at the answer, Kate took a step forward, almost tasting the chocolate melting in her mouth. The blonde was in a chocolate dreamland when her foot collided with the wooden counter. An extremely disgusting curse vomited from her mouth as her whole body jerked. The milk being open, splashed all over her blue shirt, arms and hands.

The blonde harshly placed the box on the counter, frowning as she rubbed her aching foot. "Sorry, Alfred." She apologized for the mess she had done.

The butler sighed, "It's alright, Miss. Katherine." He walked up to her, smiling softly. He cocked his head, looking over at her foot. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, straightening up. "Nah." Kate smiled before frowning at her now dirty shirt. "Can you get me a towel?" She inquired.

Alfred nodded, heading towards the nearby shelf.

Kate looked at her hands that dripped with the healthy drink. Shrugging, the blonde brought her hand up to her mouth, licking her palm.

She clicked her tongue with the roof of her mouth, brows knitting together. Was it just her or did the milk taste _different_ today?

She was still pondering when Alfred handed her a towel. Thanking him, she cleaned her shirt as Alfred spoke, "You are my guest here, Miss. Katherine."

The blonde arched an eyebrow as she locked gazes with the old man.

Alfred gave her a pressing look, "But _foul_ language is not welcomed here." He scolded.

Kate blushed in embarrassment as she bit the insides of her cheeks, not daring to even look up at him. One thing she had also learned while staying here was that no one disobeyed Alfred.

* * *

"When he comes in, you'll go out and come back after a few minutes. Got _it_?"

Kate rolled her eyes when Blake sent her a stupid look, not exactly catching why his sister wanted him to leave the room when Alfred came in with their glasses of milk. "But _why_?" He cocked his head up, biting his lip when she groaned.

Placing a hand on her temple, Kate sighed, "Just do as I say. Kay?"

He was about to ask more questions when there was a knock at the door, followed by Alfred's permission to come in. Blake sent Kate a small nod, confusion written all over his face. He felt satisfied when the elder girl answered with a mischievous smile.

"Come in,"

The door pushed open, revealing Alfred with a silver tray in his hands that held two glasses of their daily milk. "Here you are," The butler placed the tray on the side table.

He didn't notice Kate eyeing Blake who instantly got up and speed-walked out of the room. Taking one of the glasses, he turned around only to raise an eyebrow when he saw the younger boy's absence.

"Where did Master Blake go?" He inquired from the young woman.

Kate bounced her shoulders, "I dunno," She took the glass from his hands. And right when she was about to press its rim to her lips, she stopped. "I forgot to tell you that I saw a mouse in the bathroom today."

She was highly amused when the man's eyes went wide. "A _mouse_?" Alfred repeated disbelievingly.

Nodding, Kate pointed towards the bathroom. "I saw it, alright."

A smirk stretched her lips as Alfred walked inside the bathroom, a look of worry on his face. Quickly, she lifted the cushion off the couch, pouring the milk at its corner before placing the cushion back to hide the stain.

Kate acted nonchalant as Alfred walked out. "Are you sure you saw a mouse, Miss. Katherine?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah." If this was an acting competition, she would've won first prize. "I saw a mouse." Her words were smooth, balanced.

"Do not worry." He assured her, "I shall set up a mouse trap."

All the blonde did was smile as she handed him the glass back. Suspicion crawled over her thoughts as the butler glanced at the empty glass. "Did you drink your milk, Miss. Katherine?" He inquired.

"Yes," She lied smoothly through her teeth before faking a small yawn.

* * *

It was 10:00 at night and Kate was not sleepy. Blake on the other hand, was out like a lamp, tangled up in the blanket. The blonde bit her lip as she stared at him before looking back at the clock.

It was all in the _milk_ that made her go to sleep early.

She was happy that the mystery was solved. She almost wanted to do a small victory dance but the question why was she and her brother were given a sleeping medicine, still remained.

Silently, Kate pushed herself off the comfy bed and softly walked to the door. Clenching the door knob in her hand, she tried to open it. "It's locked." Kate mumbled, remembering Blake's comment that the door was locked when he woke up.

_What_ was Bruce Wayne hiding anyway?

She took a step away from the door, glaring at it. She thought about ripping it down but that wouldn't go so well in this situation. She tried to push it open again but the fancy door refused to open up.

_Fifteen_ minutes.

That's how long it took her to pick lock the door open. Kate was sure if Miss. Pricks was here, she would've beaten her into a pulp to take that long.

A dim blue light was scattered around the halls, providing one enough light to see in the dark. There was a peaceful silence all around her. The only sound audible sound to her was the ticking of a clock that came somewhere from down stairs.

She stepped out, her shoeless feet quietly padding on the soft and warm carpeted floor.

As Kate walked down the stairs, her eyes kept wandering around in search of something bizzare happening. The blonde swiftly sprang behind a couch as she heard footsteps. The footsteps began to grow louder and louder before decreasing as she felt the person pass beside the couch.

Peeking out, she found none other than Alfred who held a tray in his hands, a tea pot with steam coming out of its nozzle on top of it.

The man didn't notice the blonde's presence as he stalked towards one of the huge halls. Pushing herself up, Kate followed suit, entering the empty hall.

Her blonde eyebrows knitted together as she reached its end. She looked around, searching for the old man but found no one. "Where'd he go?" She mused, placing her hands on her hips.

Though, she found it strange that there was an old grandfather clock at the end of the hall.

She stared at it for a few seconds, her gaze fixed on the two arms of the clock, that ticked in circles. Pursing her lips, she shifted her wait on her toes, reaching up to the clock's arms. Finger slightly pressing at the long arm, she pushed it up.

Her stomach churned when the grandfather clock gave out a small roar, the arms of the needle striking twelve O'Clock.

Kate's eyes stretched wide as the whole clock began to move aside, only to reveal a darkened passage.

Swallowing a lump stuck in her throat, Kate moved forward, entering the passage. It wasn't a passage, rather it was a staircase leading down to somewhere.

She winced as her feet made contact with the cold marble stairs. With numerous thoughts storming in her head, the young woman walked down.

Soon her ears began to pick up voices. _Voices_ that she recognized.

Once she reached the floor, Kate breathed in awe at the amazing sight in front of her. It seemed to be a cave with a clear black tiled floor and was that a _dinosaur_?

As the blonde turned around, her sapphire blue eyes met pairs of equal blues including a bright emerald green. And that's when her breath got somewhere stuck in her lungs.

"Kate?" Dick blinked disbelievingly, staring at her along with Jason, Tim and Damian.

Tim was the next to ask, "What're you doing _here_?!" His mask-less eyes were wide, shocked.

Damian simply scowled, with Jason opening and closing his mouth like a fish in the background.

She wasn't paying attention to them all. Her attention was fully focused on their costumes and especially the insignias carved on them. The blonde's cheeks flared red when she saw the red-helmet strapped to Jason's hip.

And finally her eyes met a steely blue pair that had anger and fury all written in them. A scowl graced Bruce's features as he glared at her.

The words that came from Kate's mouth made his scowl grow even deeper. "Y-you're Batman?" She breathed, heart suddenly hammering against her rib cage.

Dick took a step towards her, a soft smile on his face. "Relax," He held his hands up, calmly strolling to her paralyzed form, "Let me explain,"

His brows furrowed when she backed away from them all, muscles tensing up.

Seeing the way she was reacting, Bruce didn't waste a second,"_Get_ her," He growled in anger.

Kate was not expecting Damian to oblige. The boy pounced on her like an angry tiger, trying to tackle her to the ground. Springing into battle mode, Kate veered aside before delivering a hard kick to his back causing him to crash hard against the floor.

Her paralyzed body seem to burst with energy as she dodged a bo-staff that was cracking with electricity. Grip tightening around Tim's collar, she spun on her heel, throwing him at Jason. The teenager slammed against the second Robin's body, the two toppling over one another.

As Dick tried to adsorb the extra strength she'd just shown, the blonde had bolted up the stairs.

Bruce Wayne _was_ Batman. He was the _damn_ Batman. The man she hated the most _after_ the Joker. Well, _shit_.

She needed to get out of here as fast as she could. She needed to take Blake and herself far away from this place as possible. If the dark knight found out about her alter ego, her life was going to be even a bigger hell then it was now.

A curse left her lips when something hard collided with the back of her head. Groaning, Kate clenched her head, fingers weaving in her sunny locks. Her gaze landed on none other than Alfred, holding his silver tray as he said something to her across the lines of forgive me, Miss. Katherine.

She dropped on her knees, her nerves going dead and her body feeling numb with the contents in her stomach churning. A growl escaped her lips as she saw Batman walk up to her, his cowl hiding his steely eyes.

She wanted to tell him that she'll kill him when she'll gain consciousness again but her tongue didn't obey her commands as her surroundings began growing darker, darker and _darker_ until nothing was left except for the terrifying darkness.

* * *

**A\N: **Cliffhanger! We all love cliffhangers don't we? :)

If this story's starting to get uninteresting or boring then let me know. I'll totes _stop_ writing it. The lack of response I'm getting is starting to make me feel useless. Though, thanks to those who have been sticking with me from the start! I love you guys!

Thanks for reading, dearies!


	12. Not a Good Place

**A\N: **Hi guys! How's everything going? I hope its good. And if isn't, then don't worry. After reading this chapter you'll totes feel great :D

* * *

"Wakie, wakie..."

Groaning, Kate forced her eyes to open. The first thing she saw was a pair of apple-green eyes, hovering above her. Very soon, she began to fully visualize the person standing beside where she lay.

She was sure she only saw Jason in her _dreams_. But he was only sixteen when he died, she imagined him being older. However, he was completely different, with his face more mature and his green eyes a little dull, like he had been _miserable_ for years. Still, she found him amazing to dream about.

She _liked_ seeing him in her dreams.

She would usually sleep down stairs on the couch, away from Blake so she could dream about him. And damn, she loved it when she would wake up, gasping his name with her hands and face dripping with sweat.

"Jason?" Kate questioned meekly.

The young man grinned, "Yeah." He cocked his head, giving her a worried look. "How're you feeling?"

The blonde reached out to him, still feeling her head ache where Alfred had hit her. Jason smiled, taking her hand and helping her into a sitting position. Sitting on the warm mattress, she lazily observed her surroundings. Seeing the cell door made her realize that she was locked up here all night.

"What happened?" Kate mumbled, bringing her hand up to her temple.

Jason laughed, "Well, you did something really _stupid_ last night-"

She cut him short, bolting out of bed and running to the door. What made her _almost_ cry, was when her wrist was forcefully grabbed and she was thrown back on to the bed. She tried getting back up on her feet, giving a small shriek as she was pinned down by him.

"You are such an _idiot_," Jason glared at her, pinning her firmly on the bed.

Kate tried kicking him off but she couldn't even move a muscle under his heavy weight. The green-eyed man smirked at her, "If I weren't suppose to stop you, then I would've been _so_ turned on right now."

Her heart began pounding in her chest, cheeks flaring red. She wanted to tell him that she would feel the_ same_ too, if she was not trying to escape.

She hated '_ifs'._

Seeing that she was now relaxed, Jason carefully pushed himself off her. He eyed her for a while, studying how she swung her legs down the bed and looked at him with her face hot and chest heaving.

He reached to his side before placing some simple clothes beside her. "We're not gonna take you anywhere in your PJs." Jason said, walking over to the bat cell's door and opening it. Looking back, he smiled. "Get dressed._ Kay_?"

"_Where_ are you gonna take me?"

Jason smirked, his eyes emerald eyes matching her sky blue ones.

"It's a _surprise_."

* * *

_Authorized: Guest A05_

Kate had no idea what the computerized voice had just said. She was too busy fiddling with the metal handcuffs that were strapped onto her wrists.

A blindfold was wrapped around her eyes, making her see nothing but darkness. Though, her ears could still pick up voices as her brain tried to record them in her memory.

"Contact Miss. Martian." Batman said grimly, his hand firmly clasped onto the blonde's arm.

Nightwing answered with a nod, walking away to find the Martian girl.

Kate decided to let her thoughts out, "Where the hell are you taking _me_?!" She demanded angrily, stopping in her tracks.

Red Robin was the first to speak, "There's _nothing_ we'll do to harm you," He assured, "Just come with us,"

Bitter words were going to leave her mouth when her arm was forcefully grabbed and she was being dragged to somewhere she had no idea of.

"It's not gonna hurt her, _is_ it?"

Part of her wanted to smile at Red Hood's _care_ for her and part of her wanted to scream what they were going to do with her.

"I think we shall come to do know when she passes through it." She was _ninety-nine point nine percent_ sure that was Damian.

A _breeze _passed by, startling the blonde.

"Uh… _who_ is she?" It was a completely different voice; a bit high-pitched as well as impulsive.

She heard Damian growl, "Mind your _own_ business, Allen."

Kid Flash crossed his arms over his chest, "I didn't ask you, Mr. Dark and Serious." He glared down at the younger boy.

He turned to the other batfamily members, "Who is _she_?" The second Kid Flash looked up at the blindfolded girl before arching a red eyebrow and placing his hands on his hips, "And _why_ is she blindfolded?"

Robin was about to tell him to shut up when the speedster cut him off, "And furthermore, _what_ is she doing in the watchtower?" Kid Flash asked loudly.

Raising an eyebrow when Red Robin face palmed and Batman scowled, he parted his lips to ask why everyone was so in the _mode _when the blonde finally said something.

"I'm in the _watchtower_?" Kate marveled, highly surprised.

Red Hood sighed before frowning, "Knew we should've kept her unconscious." He mumbled, not catching the small frown that framed Kate's face.

* * *

_Batman was Bruce Wayne. Well Kate, you sure made a discovery, didn't you? Can you see someone bringing you an award? No? Well then let me tell you something, curiosity kills the cat! And you're few minutes away from getting killed._

Kate didn't particularly enjoy the internal battles she had with her sometimes. The battle she was fighting now was a lot harder.

She was currently sitting on a chair, with her hands tied with it. When the blindfold had been pulled away from her eyes, she found herself in a creamy white room with a matching white metal door as well as a rectangular window from which she could see nothing.

Kate doubted it. She couldn't see but the people standing behind it could see _everything_.

She eyed the empty wooden chair infront of her whilst thinking of ways to escape. Though, her eyes stretched wide when a figure phased through the door and walked towards her.

A hood hung loosely over its forehead, hiding the person's features. Slowly, green hands reached up to the sides of the hood, pulling it down to reveal a pretty young woman with short red hair and emerald-green skin.

Though, when their gazes met, it took Kate a few seconds to imagine the green-skinned girl with Caucasian white skin.

"M-Megan?!" Kate stuttered, remembering her from the office.

Miss. Martian shot her a surprised look, amber eyes wide. "Kate?" She stared at her, "What're you doing here?" She inquired, brows furrowing.

Kate worriedly looked up at the Martian girl who stared at the window, her frown growing deeper and deeper. Giving out a deep breath, Miss. Martian smiled softly at her.

The red-head smiled uneasily, sitting infront of the blonde. "Now, Kate." She said calmly. "I'm gonna enter your _mind_ and—"

"You're gonna do _what_?!"

Miss. Martian bit her lip, "It just needs to be done. But don't worry," She smiled, straightening up in her seat. "I'm not gonna hurt you." The Martian told her, hoping for a positive response.

The response was _not _positive. "You _can't_ do that!" Kate yelled, heart beat quickening. She snapped her head at the window, "If you think you're gonna _erase_ my memory, then you're wrong!" She barked.

Looking back at Miss. Martian Kate began, "Look, you can't go inside my mind." Her voice was shaky, "It—It…" She inhaled a deep breath and closed her eyes before opening them again and frowning, "It isn't a _good _place." The blonde warned, eyes settled on the other female.

"It isn't like I'm gonna tell anyone about their secrets." She forced a smile, thinking it'll help her out, "I just wanna leave with my brother."

Her teeth gritted together as Miss. Martian smiled softly, bringing her hands up to her temples.

A_ force_.

Kate could feel a _force_ exerting pressure on her head, making it hard to breathe but she fought it, mentally pushing it away.

Miss. Martian seemed a bit unhappy about that, frowning and just when she did, the force got stronger this time, making the blonde give out a small gasp.

Eyes now glittering a lovely green, Miss. Martian told her softly. "It'll only hurt if you try to_ resist_ it."

And Kate tried her best to resist it. Unfortunately, her efforts were all in vain.

* * *

Miss. Martian's eyebrows knitted together as she stared at the scene infront of her with eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Everything was black. So black that she had to use a lot of power and create a ball of small green energy that provided her enough light to see in the dark.

That's when the glass shards came into view, floating around the empty darkness. Pictures could be seen playing on them, most of them having a certain blonde which M'gann knew was none other than Kate herself.

Miss. Martian bit her bottom lip, flying further. Her eyes searched for the memory Batman had told her get rid of. She was still looking for it when her gaze landed on a shadow.

Lowering herself to the ground, the emerald-skinned moved closer to the shadow, her left hand signaling for the ball of light to move closer.

There was a small whisper, "_Get out_,"

As the light fell on the shadow, a figure began to form. It had ears, pointed like needles, black bat wings trickling with blood and a spiked tail, swishing back and forth like a snake.

A small gasp escaped her lips as the thing turned to look at her with its crimson red eyes, "_Get out_." It growled, tongue rolling out from its mouth and resting on its swollen lips.

Its teeth looked like they could shred a man to pieces, "Get _out_ of here." It took a step towards her and as a reaction, she backed away from it.

Fire balls began flickering over its palms, "Get out!" It roared before pouncing on her.

* * *

Batman narrowed his eyes when he saw Miss. Martian give out a painful gasp, clutching her head. They narrowed even more when Kate leaned a bit out of her chair, breathing heavily.

The blonde took in a deep inhale. And then she _screamed_.

The scream being so intense that Superboy who was standing beside him, had to cup his ears with his hands whilst gritting his teeth together. Though, when the Kryptonian's eyes landed on Miss. Martian and the pain written all over her face, he forgot all about how much his ears were hurting.

"M'gann!" He hissed, bolting out of the room and heading to the Martian's aid.

Kate grunted, snapping her head at Miss. Martian and growled, "Get _out_." Her voice was so deep, "Get _out_!" Blue eyes flashed red for a second, "I said, _get out_ of my head!" She shrieked in anger.

The red-head felt chills run down her spine as an invisible force thrashed between the room before slamming them both against the wall. She thought it was a sudden reaction of her powers that panicked when she saw the _horrific_ creature. Nonetheless, being slammed against a wall still hurt.

The door flung open, Superboy racing inside the room, "Mg'ann!" He yelled, kneeling down beside the Martian girl and giving her support as low moans escaped her lips.

Kate lay on the other side of the room, whimpering and catching her breath. Her wrists had begun to hurt because of her constant tugging on the handcuffs.

Her eyes snapped open when she heard something_ click_. Cocking her head to her hands, she pulled them to her chest as Nightwing offered her a friendly smile. "Are you hurt?" He asked, helping her up on her feet.

She gave him a stern glance, rubbing her wrists. Though, when she saw Miss. Martian's who now stood beside Superboy, smiling at him and telling him that she was alright, _anger_ rushed through her.

In a flash, the blonde's tight fist had buried itself on the emerald-skinned girl cheek, causing her to tumble backwards and fall on her back, her green hands cupping her face.

"Don't ever do that _again_!" Kate screamed, infuriated.

Superboy snapped his head to her, enraged. "How dare you _hit_ Megan!" He roared, grabbing her arm and throwing her onto the glass window.

Kate squeezed her eyes shut as her body broke through the glass and she landed on the other side, small glass shards piercing the upper layer of her skin.

* * *

"She _isn't_ normal."

Batman replayed Megan's words in his mind. Her telling him that, Kate _wasn't_ a human. She said that she saw some very bizarre things when she entered her brain, especially a strange beast with eyes as red as blood. He had assumed Miss. Martian was tired and had 'daydreamed' while entering the blonde's mind.

But just incase, he had taken a blood sample of Kate and send it to the Watchtower's laboratory to be tested. The results came out _perfectly_ normal. But for some strange reason, this all seemed so sickly déjà vu.

The dark knight had informed Superman about Superboy's raising anger issues and how he had used his kryptonian powers on a mere human. Honestly, the caped crusader had not expected Kate to survive from the glass crash. Somehow she had managed to live, with numerous cuts scattered all over her body.

She was treated in the Watchtower's medical bay. She had also been unconscious for about five hours. Though, when gaining consciousness, she demanded to be taken back. And since they had come back, she had stormed off, not even bothering to talk to him or his sons.

Her attitude was _not_ something he liked.

Bruce Wayne glared as Kate walked down the stairs of the manor, her hand clasped with her brother's, confusion written all over his face.

He scowled when she paced to the manor's door. Stepping infront of her, he gave her his infamous batglare. The blonde didn't even flinch.

"Where are you going?" Bruce growled, his steely blue eyes settled on her.

Kate resisted the urge to cut his tongue out, "We're _leaving_." She snapped.

Her knowing their alter egos would prove very risky for him. Batman did not take risks and neither did Bruce Wayne. "You are _not_ going anywhere." He deadpanned, glaring down at her.

The blonde's face scrunched up into a snarl, "Oh yeah? Watch me!" She took a daring step forward and in return, Bruce's glare hardened even more.

"Whoa, Kate." Dick tossed her a friendly smile, hoping it would make the situation better. "Relax. Will ya?" He said, standing beside his ex-mentor.

She glared at him.

"Let's just sit down and try to—"

She cut him short. "I don't need to sit down and talk, Dick!" Kate scowled.

"What happened to Mr. Grayson?" Dick mumbled under his breath.

Bruce repeated his sentence, "You are not going anywhere." He said solemnly, "You shall now stay here in the Manor." He would force her if she wouldn't.

Kate barked, "I'm not your property, you _idiot_!" It was so hard to resist not to kill him, right there and then.

"Do not talk to Father like _that_," Damian scowled, entering the large room along with Jason who held a half eaten sandwhich in his hand. He didn't look much amused by the situation.

The blonde snarled, "Shut it, pip-squeak."

Damian gave her an icy glare, fists tightening so much, his knuckles turned white. He was about to yell death threats when Tim beat him to it. "Look, Kate. I know this is—"

"Just _shut up_!" She yelled in anger.

Whipping her head back to Bruce, Kate deadpanned. "Get out of my way or _else_…" She threatened, blood pumping through her arteries.

Her teeth gritted together in anger as the four boys glared at her. She knew she couldn't beat them all but Bloodlust could _rip_ their bodies apart and bury them_ deep_ into the ground and watch their bones rot away.

"Kate, let go!" Blake squeaked, releasing her hold from him hand. "What happened?" He looked at them all, thinking why the tension in the room was so thick.

"Let's go, Blake." His sister growled, eyes fixed on the others.

His answer shocked her. "I _don't_ wanna leave."

She blinked, looking down at him before frowning. "We're leaving, Blake. Come on." A scowl graced his features when the younger boy inched away from her.

"I _like_ it here." He managed to say.

Kate glared. "Come on, Blake."

"_No_."

She stared. "What did you just say?" She asked as if she had misheard him.

Gaining up courage, Blake managed to utter. "No."

A loud _thwack_ filled the air, making Damian murderously glare at the blonde. Blake placed a hand on his flaring cheek, tears rolling up in his eyes as he looked up at his sister who had steam erupting out from her ears.

"How the _hell_ can you say that?!" She yelled at him, causing him to flinch. However, her anger melted away when he sniffed and yelled back at her. "I _hate_ you!" He sobbed, running back to the stairs.

It took Kate a second to realize what she had done. "Blake!" She yelled worriedly, pacing after her brother. "I'm _sorry_!" Suddenly she stopped, whipping her head back at Bruce.

"This is all _your_ fault!" She snapped before running after the weeping boy.

Bruce frowned. She was right. Everything was all his fault and he _hated_ himself for it.

* * *

**A\N: **Did you like it? Did ya?! I'm not doing a spell check since I'm kinda dozing off right now so don't mind the grammar mistakes. I'll fix them later.

Also, winter vacations just started so that means more updates! *happy dance* So yeah, I'll try to update sooner this time. :)

_Reviews_ are love~


	13. The Demon's back

**A\N:** Thanks for the fantastic feedback. It made me wanna update again ^_^

* * *

Kate was _anxious_. And why shouldn't she be? After all, Talia Al Ghul had called her two hours ago, telling her to reach Lane's street right as six O'Clock. The blonde kept thinking what she was going to say. That woman was dangerous and her motives did _not_ seem friendly.

Rolling her blue orbs, Kate placed her hands on her hips, "I _know_ you're there. Come on out," She said bluntly.

With a small chuckle, Jason walked out from behind a corner, a smirk plastered on his face. "Looks like someone's been_ learning_, huh?" He asked, stuffing his fists into the pockets of his jeans.

Folding her arms over her chest, Kate sneered. "Prisoners _need_ to learn if they wanna escape jail,"

The young man laughed, "Hey, you're not a prisoner." A smirk spread across his lips as he walked over her side. Giving her a questioning look, he asked. "Where're you going anyway?"

Kate snorted, "Oh I'm just trying to get rid of you and your paranoid family," She snapped, glaring at him.

Jason arched an eyebrow before smirking, "You can't get rid of us." He bounced his shoulders, "Bruce _won't_ let that happen," He told her, causing a scowl to grace her features.

She needed to get rid of him.

An idea popping in her head, Kate's frown went upside down, "Well, _since_ we're standing in the middle of the market" She spread her arms wide to symbolize the area, "How about you and I have _lunch_?" She smiled sweetly, observing his facial expressions.

Jason raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in her attitude, "Sure thing," He said carefully, earning a smile from her.

Smiling back, he walked ahead, "I know a great place where they make chilli dogs," He grinned.

Butterflies fluttering in her stomach, Kate followed Jason into the small restaurant. The young man smirked, taking a seat and motioning for her to do the same. Eying the surroundings around her, she sat in front of him.

"Their chili dogs are really awesome," Jason told her.

She smiled in answer.

In all honesty, the blonde couldn't help but find his company very enjoyable. She was almost sorry she couldn't stay longer._ Almost_.

Jason gave her a pressing look as she stood up from her seat. In response, she rolled her eyes. "Jee... Are you gonna follow me to the bathroom now?" She asked, sarcasm lacing her words.

She hid a smile when he gave a toothy grin in answer.

"I'll be right back," Kate rolled her eyes again, stalking to the restrooms, a small smile on her lips.

As soon as she stepped inside the ladies restroom, she found herself lucky that there was no one in there except for herself. Her eyes quickly darted to the open rectangular window located a bit up in the wall.

She gave a deep sigh, "Here goes _nothing_," The blonde mumbled, backing away. Calculating the jump in her head, she ran forward before flipping and jumping out from the window.

It was great that her head or any other body part had not collided with the wall or the glass. However, her happiness was short-lived when she fell into the_ dumpster_ that happened to be just on the other side.

A curse vomiting from her mouth, Kate pushed herself up and hopped out of the dumpster. Taking off the banana skin off her head, she scowled, walking over to the street.

"_Where_ is she?" Kate muttered looking around for the Arabian woman. She was thinking whether to go back or not, when a sparkling limousine parked itself in front of her.

The window slid down, revealing an old man, dressed up as a butler. He gave her a stern look before saying, "Mistress has sent _me_ to pick you," Getting out of the car, he opened the door for her, "Let us leave,"

Uneasily, Kate sat on the back seat, wincing when he slammed the car's door shut, went to the drivers seat and fastened his seat belt. Her face flushed when the man crinkled his nose at the disgusting smell of trash before shooting her an icy glare.

He pulled the car over the street, fixing the back view mirror. "Mistress has sent some _gifts_ for you," He told her, increasing the speed of the limousine.

Kate quirked a blonde eyebrow, cocking her head at the bag lying on the seat beside her. Hesitantly, she unzipped it. Her eyes grew wide as she pulled out a _red eye mask_. She looked up at the back view mirror and the old man smirked slyly. "Mistress hopes you have the glamor charm with you."

Kate cracked him a grin, cockiness kicking back in her attitude, "I hope your Mistress knows what's she putting herself into," She laughed, pulling the orange glamor charm from her pocket and wrapping it around her neck.

When the man looked back at the mirror, his eyes met a young red-head with steely grey eyes.

* * *

"_Welcome_ to the League of Shadows," Talia greeted, a sly smirk resting on her lips.

Pulling her fiery red hair into a tight ponytail, Bloodlust glared at her. "What do you want from me?" She questioned snarkily.

The woman smirked, cocking her hip out. "You shall know soon about that,"

Another feminine voice sighed, "Just tell the newbie so we can go on with it." A female stepped up, arms crossed over her chest, a frown framing her features. She was pretty, wearing a green Chinese dress and a Cheshire mask strapped to her hip.

Bloodlust arched an eyebrow, parting her lips to ask who was she when an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her to a very chilly body. "Hey _there_," A masculine voice purred.

He was _cold_. So cold that his touch caused her body to shiver.

"Do you have a _mirror_ in your pants? Cause I can see _myself_ in them." He grinned, wiggling his frosty eyebrows.

Despite fighting the urge to kill him, she replied. "_Really_?" Bloodlust snorted, "Cause there's a _magnifying glass_ in your pants. And I still _can't_ see anything in them."

The frost boy's blue cheeks flared red at the comeback as she shrugged him off.

The lady in the Chinese dress sniggered before smirking, "I'm Cheshire," The Vietnamese woman introduced, locking gazes with her.

Pointing her thumb at the ice-skinned boy, she said. "_Popsicle_ there, is Icicle Jr."

"I'm Bloodlust," The red-head responded.

Cheshire arched an eyebrow, "Never heard about you."

Bloodlust bounced her shoulders, unsure what to say.

Talia clapped her hands, catching their attention. "Let's get to the point, shall we?" She said, swaying her hand in the air.

The movement was quickly followed by a holographic map appearing in the air with a red dot blinking at its side. Fixing her gaze on them all, Talia began, "This here; is a blueprint of Arkham Asylum."

Gesturing towards the red blinking dot, she said. "This is the room number 5459." She turned to look at them, "You have to get the person in this room _out_,"

Bloodlust asked, "Who's in there?" Arkhum was a mental hospital. Anyone in there would probably be _crazy_.

The Arabian woman glared in answer, "You are only to get the person out. Questions are _not _necessary." She sneered.

* * *

Being a part of this breakout mission was not her plan. _Hell_. Being teamed up with two villains wasn't her plan either. It was like her life had decided to make things complex for her.

A silent sigh escaped her lips as she entered Arkhum's main room where all security footages were recorded. Breaking into Arkhum didn't seem that hard. They just needed to get pass the guards.

_No wonder_ psychopaths made their way out of here.

She watched in amusement as the guard sitting on the chair stared at the screen flickering in front of him. The look on his face when he saw Cheshire and Icicle Jr. jump inside with ease, was _priceless_.

And just when he was about to pull on the security alarm, a gloved hand clasped on his wrist. Eyes filled with fear, he looked up at her. Bloodlust made a clicking sound with her tongue, signaling that calling everyone was not a good idea.

With the single hit on the back of his neck, the guard fell unconscious to the floor.

She shot him a pathetic look, casually strolling out the room.

Pressing her finger to the small device in her ear, she reported. "Got you guys_ covered_."

She could see Cheshire grinning, "Good job. Now wait until we get there."

Bloodlust nodded, fingers tracing the gun strapped to her hip. It had been a very long time she hadn't shot someone's brains out. And the new equipment Talia had provided her with, had her fingers itching to use it. Of course she wasn't going to use it here (unless necessary). Bloodlust did _not_ kill civilians.

"Don't mind me asking but who is that person we're supposed to save?" There was a small chance any of the two knew about it.

Cheshire snorted, "We're only here for the money. We don't-"

Icicle cut her mid-sentence, purring in the com-link. "I'm pretty sure it's her _Dad_." He concluded.

"Her _Dad_?" Bloodlust repeated questionably.

"Yeah." The frost boy smirked on the other side, "One of the henchwomen told me."

Bloodlust raised an eyebrow. She was pretty sure all the people working for the shadows were henchmen. _Not women._

Her eyes widened when Icicle _'oopsed'_ in the link.

"What did you _do_?!" Cheshire growled, disliking the shouts of men coming from the background.

The frost boy chuckled nervously, "Err... I might've _frozen_ something's on our way through here." He winced as his partner barked, "You _idiot_!" She hissed furiously.

It took a few seconds for the red-head to come to the conclusion that he had blown their cover.

"Hands up!"

Cursing under her breath, she turned around slowly, her steely gaze falling on a pair of guards who had their guns aimed at her. _Just great._

Bloodlust cocked her head, a scowl gracing her features. "I _don't_ wanna hurt you guys," She eyed them menacingly, hand slowly making its way to her gun.

She tossed them a cocky smile as they shot at her. Dodging the bullets, she pressed the trigger, taking a guard down before knocking the other one out cold. Peering down at their motionless bodies, she looked aside when she saw two very familiar people running towards her.

"You killed them? _Nice_!" Icicle Jr. grinned, bringing his hand up for a high five. He frowned when she crossed her arms over her chest, face scrunching up into a snarl. "I used _rubber bullets_. Their _not_ dead,"

Cheshire sent her an unimpressed look as one of the guards pushed himself up, staggering slightly. She drew out one of her sais, ready to plunge it deep into his chest when Bloodlust slammed a kick to the man's head, causing him to fall back into unconsciousness.

"Don't _kill_ anyone," Bloodlust deadpanned.

The other female shrugged, "Killing makes the job _easier_."

Shouts of men began to echo around them, making Cheshire shoot a murderous glare at Icicle who held his hands up, smiling apologetically. Bloodlust pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. "You take care of the guards,"

She stepped up, "I'll get to room number 5459."

Cheshire glared at her as she bolted for the rooms. Tightening her grip on her sais, she turned around just in time to see Icicle Jr. create a spiked mace made out of nothing but _ice_. He grinned at her and she scowled deeply before charging at the guards.

* * *

Quickening her speed, Bloodlust analyzed the hall. Many doors could be seen across it. Each with a different number plate. Now all what she needed to do was to find the right one.

"Are you _there_?"

She was slightly startled on hearing Talia's concerned voice in her ear. "Err... _Yeah_," She answered, gaze flicking from one room plate to the other.

The Arabian woman growled, "Find room number 5459 and bring _him_ back." She snapped.

Her teeth gritting together, Bloodlust was about to respond with a number of insults when a _laugh_ echoed around her. A _laugh_ she hadn't heard for the past ten years. A _laugh_ that made chills run down her spine.

She clamped her hands over her ears, gasping as she remembered it all.

A woman screaming, a man begging for mercy, cries, pleases and laughter. Hysterical, insane laughter. There was slow ripping of flesh, cracking of skulls and a flood of blood. _Oh God..._

"Stop." She croaked.

The memories were _too_ painful.

"Please stop."

Talia snapped her out of it, "Stop acting like an idiot and get the job done!"

Biting her tongue, the red-head collected herself together, mentally assuring herself that everything was alright. She stalked towards the rooms, eyes searching for a particular number until she saw it.

"Got it," Bloodlust mumbled.

Pulling out what seemed to be a small bomb, she adjusted it on the metallic door. A few beeps rang in the atmosphere just before an explosion. Swaying her arm to get the smoke aside, her gaze fell on the bed located to the side.

A man, seemingly in his seventies, lay on the mattress. His eyes were hollow, pushed back inside, face filled with wrinkles and mouth hanging open. The way his chest wasn't raising up and down gave her an idea that he was dead.

Bloodlust was quite sure that flesh didn't _decay_ so fast.

"Did you get him?"

Giving the dead body a glance, she replied. "Uh... Yeah." She cleared her throat, "But he's kinda _dead_."

She could see Talia scowling on the other side, "It's _fine_. Just get him out!"

Bloodlust was about to ask her what she intended to do with an old man's corpse but she thought against it. Stalking towards the bed, she reached down and pulled him up on her back.

Her nose scrunched in disgust when the horrid smell of decaying mass hit her nostrils.

* * *

Arms crossed over her chest, Kate waited as Talia approached her, a smile tugging her lips. "You've really out did yourself," She praised, smiling from ear to ear.

The blonde frowned.

Ignoring her reaction, the beautiful Arabian smirked. "As a reward, you can _keep_ the new equipment provided to you." She told her, emerald eyes sparkling with mischief.

Kate glared. "So does this mean I'm good to _go_?" She inquired from her.

She hated the smile Talia tossed her. "Not _quite_," Talia placed her hands on her hips.

A growl left the blonde's lips, "What do you mean '_not_ _quite_'"? She was annoying her.

"Morph into your demon state."

Kate blinked. "I wont-"

Talia interrupted her, "Morph into your demon state. _Now_." She ordered, enjoying the way she was rewarded by a glare.

Despite having a sudden urge to slit her throat, Kate obliged.

Watching her in amusement, Talia's green eyes seemed to glitter as the blonde's hands curled into tight fists, red flames licking on them, canine grew sharp until they were sticking out of her mouth and the end of her ears became pointed like needles.

The ugly beast looked up at her, crimson eyes meeting apple green.

"Happy now?" Kate sneered.

The woman grinned in answer before speeding to her side. What Kate wasn't expecting was when Talia plunged a _syringe_ in the side of her neck. The blonde suddenly gasped, taken back by the sudden action.

"Hold still," Talia said sternly as ruby red liquid filled up the empty syringe.

Pulling it back out, she twirled the syringe in her hand.

She swiftly dodged aside as Kate tried to pounce on her. The woman delivered a hard kick to the blonde's gut before pressing her high heeled combat boot to her cheek. Her demonic-form quickly faded away, leaving Kate breathing heavily.

"Nice try," Talia cocked her head, smirking as she pushed her foot harder against the blonde's cheek.

The Arabian tightened her grip around the half-demon's blood. "But don't even _try_ doing that again." She warned, stepping back from her.

Rubbing her now aching cheek, Kate barked. "A warning would've been _nice_!" She pushed herself up, glaring at her.

She stared at the syringe, "What're you gonna do with that anyway?" Kate asked, brows knitting together. "It's just normal blood."

Placing a hand on her hip, Talia gave her an unimpressed look. "You're blood composition _changes_ when you are in your demon state." She explained, adjusting the syringe in her grey belt.

"A demon's blood is one of the main items essential for the _Lazarus pit_." She mumbled absent mindedly.

Kate quirked a blonde eyebrow, "What's a _Lazarus pit_?"

Whatever it was, she got a thought that Talia didn't want her to know about it as a sharp _dagger_ was pressed against her throat. "You know _nothing_ about the pit!" The woman snarled, eyes promising murder.

The cool blade caused goosebumps to scatter around her skin. "You were the one_ talking_ about it!"

Talia snarled, "Leave."

Massaging the sore spot on her neck, Kate shot her a glare, walking towards the exit. She didn't seem to notice when Talia ran a hand through her raven locks, mumbling scolding words of Arabic to herself.

* * *

Humming softly, the blonde entered the Manor, her hands supporting a bunch of shopping bags. She glanced at the clock that read twelve-thirty at night teasingly. After today's adventure, she didn't care much about the time.

"Where were you?"

She winced, cursing how she forgot about the _heroes_ she was living with.

Gradually, she turned around only to find a pair of steely blue eyes glaring down at her. She gave him a pathetic look.

"Where were you?" Bruce repeated the question, his voice cold as ice.

Kate countered, "What's it to you?" She could remember herself being younger. She could see him again. A warm smile spread across his lips as he kindly talked to her.

It was funny how she _hated_ Batman but_ liked_ Bruce Wayne.

"Where the hell did you go!"

She cocked an eyebrow at Jason's furious face. He had the right to be angry. She _ditched_ him, after all.

"_None_ of your damn business," Kate snapped, quoting Red Hood's line when she had met him on the rooftop.

Her blue orbs rolled when she saw Tim walk out with Damian hot on his heels, both scowling.

"You guys stayed awake cause of me? _Wow_. I'm flattered." Kate smiled at them, ignoring the glares being sent her way.

Blowing air from the side of her mouth, she began dryly. "If you're all worried I'll tell someone about your secrets then don't worry." She grinned, "I've got you all covered." Her eyes flicked from Bruce's frown to Dick's sigh.

Jason hissed, "That still doesn't explain _where_ you went!"

She sighed, "I just went somewhere to _relax_, okay?" And damn, she felt r_elaxed_. "I mean, if you ever come to know that you're living with _Batman_ then you'd probably try to relax and think things through, right?"

She was a bit relieved when they all exchanged glances. Though, her relief was _short lived_...

"_What'_s in those bags?" Dick asked, gesturing towards her hands.

Kate seriously wanted to slap herself when she tried hiding the bags behind her back. "Nothing!" She said a bit too quickly for their tastes.

Her heart missed a beat when Jason snatched them from her. _Oh, shit._

"Hey!" She cried out, "Give that _back_!" There were bombs and guns inside._ What if one blew up or something?_

The young man threw her a cocky grin, holding them up from her reach. Kate scowled, hating how her height only reached his chin.

To her horror, Jason tossed them to Dick. "_Catch_, golden boy!"

The Romani caught it, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I said give it back!" Kate hissed. Her teeth gritted together in anger when he cackled, throwing the shopping bags to Damian.

In all honesty, she was expecting Damian to reject their stupid excuse for fun, _not_ smirk and throw the bags at Tim. She knew they were angry but playing _'catch'_ with her equipment was not the solution.

She made a mental note to_ slaughter_ Red Robin when he threw them at Jason.

A frustrated groan left her lips, "Give them back," Her hands balled into fists. "Or else I'll _rip_ you into shreds!"

The former Robin raised an eyebrow at her threat, clearly not knowing how she could do that with her bare hands. "Oh _really_?" He smirked, "What's in this that's getting Blondie so angry,_ huh_?"

Kate's eyes stretched wide when he shook the shopping bags.

She snapped her head at Bruce, hoping he would tell them all to knock it off. The man simply glared at her. She wondered how'd his reaction would be when he found out that she was Bloodlust?

The blonde bit out, "They're just undergarments, okay!"

Kate was more than amused when their cheeks flared red all of a sudden. Rolling her eyes, she snatched them back from Jason who offered a weak smile inreturn.

Spinning on her heel, she began stomping up the stairs. A satisfied grin made its way to her lips as her eyes flashed a bloody red for a second.

Bloodlust was coming _back_ in business.

* * *

**A\N**: My throat hurts! You guys know what I _hate_ most about winter? I hate it how I get sick in it -_- I wrote every line whilst having a cough attack. It's purr-ety hard to write when you're coughing after every one-two minutes.

Anyway, I hope you guys liked the chapter. Wishing you guys very Happy Holidays! :D Keep smiling! (^_^=)

_Reviews keep me going~_


	14. Meeting the Black Bat

**A\N**: Look who finally decided to update? :P Virtual hugs to all who reviewed last chapter :3

* * *

_Lazarus Pits_ are composed of a unique _unknown_ chemical blend that bubbles up somewhere within the Earth's crust to the surface at key points on Earth, typically at the junction of ley lines. The substance possesses the ability to rejuvenate the sick and injured, and even _resurrect_ the dead.

The pits also decrease the age of the user depending on how long they stay submerged in the pit. If a healthy person goes into the pits, they will be _killed_ in most instances.

"Resurrect the dead, _huh_?" Kate mumbled, walking through the manor's halls.

It was almost three o'clock in the morning and she couldn't sleep. After some time of rolling on her bed, staring at the ceiling and then listening to the ticking of her clock, she had decided to grab a book from the manor's library and help herself by making a good cup of coffee.

Apparently, the blonde wanted to know more about the '_Lazarus pit_' Talia had absent mindedly blurted out infront of her. And she was highly amused to know that there rested pits on earth with boiling green acids, that could revive the dead.

Sipping the hot coffee, Kate strolled out towards the manor's swimming pool. Her gaze stole a glance at the twinkling stars in the sky and then swept over the water that reflected their beauty.

She tried imagining it, trying to replace the clear cool water with boiling emerald liquid, that could kill a healthy person and resurrect a corpse.

Kate wondered, "Won't that be like _zombies_?"

Crouching down onto a nearby chair, the blonde thought about how wrong it would be if dead people started roaming around her. She didn't find the thought pleasing.

Like a current had hit her, Kate slammed the book shut and placed it beneath her chair. Her body leaning back, she brought the cup's rim to her lips, swallowing a large sip of coffee.

"What're you doing out _here_?"

Upon hearing the voice, she tilted her head up, sapphire blue eyes meeting darker yet more clearer ones.

A smirk stretched her lips, "I can ask you the _same_ thing, Mr. Grayson."

Dick looked down at her, hair tousled and clothes all crinkled with creases. He glanced at the clouds fluterring up the cup of her coffee before locking gazes with the blonde.

"I was busy working," He answered flatly, his hands gravitating to his hips. "You?"

Kate smiled at him, "I couldn't sleep," She sighed, "So I thought about getting some fresh air," She bobbed her head towards the cup in her hands, "And I made myself some coffee."

She watched interestingly as the Romani smiled at her, before pulling up a chair beside her. Sitting down, Dick leaned back in the chair. "I thought you started to call me Dick after what happened yesterday."

The blonde offered a weak smile. "I'm really sorry about my attitude, Mr. Grayson." She apologized, mentally scowling. A sigh left Kate's lips, "I wasn't feeling quite like myself yesterday."

"You should be saying that to Bruce rather than _me_," Dick chuckled.

Kate almost felt her chest fill up with hatred. Taking in a silent inhale, she forced one of her pretty smiles, "I'll apologize to Mr. Wayne in the morning."

The young man rewarded her with a smile, "And you can call me Dick." He grinned, folding his arms behind his head. "Mr. Grayson sounds _way_ to formal."

Tossing him a smirk, Kate sipped her hot drink. "Sure thing, _Dick_."

Dick rolled his eyes when she giggled when speaking his name. But he couldn't help but ask, "Doesn't that burn your tongue?" He inquired, eyes fixed on the steaming coffee.

Kate bounced her shoulders. "Nope." She cocked her head at him, "What were you working on?"

Rubbing his neck, Dick gave a weak smile. "There's a _new_ vigilante in Gotham," He stretched his arms out.

"Really?" Kate didn't sound amused. "_Who_?"

"She calls herself Bloodlust." He answered grimly.

A lump seemed to have got stuck in her throat. "Oh," She replied, eyes fixed on the now empty cup.

"Yeah, she's kinda _insane_." Dick continued, not noticing how Kate's grip tightened around the cup. "But I think she needs a little help." He concluded before bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck.

"I've spent hours checking that how she snuck a patient out from Arkham." Dick groaned, straightening his back, "My neck and back have started _killing_ me."

Kate's mouth was still bitter when she responded, "Did you take a tablet or something?"

"Yeah," The Romani gave a laugh, "But it isn't exactly _helping_."

Having a small internal war with herself, the blonde placed the cup aside before pushing herself up and in the next second, she was behind Dick's chair.

"What're you doing?" Dick arched an eyebrow, wanting to get up when she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Relax, Mr. Gray- Dick." Kate pursed her lips, hands now a bit below the back of his neck.

Fingers rubbing soothing circles on his neck, Kate grinned when the first Robin gave a blissful sigh. She began applying pressure to his back and neck, grin spreading widely as he arched his back more.

"That feels so _good_," He smirked, closing his eyes. "Where'd you learn _that_?"

Ignoring how he had just called her alter ego crazy, Kate shrugged. "Mama P taught me," She smiled, "I used to give her massages when she was tired." Kate could see Miss. Pricks lying on her back, the strong stench of alcohol coming from her mouth as she rubbed her small bruised hands near her shoulder blades.

"You called your mom, Mama P?" Dick inquired, eyes closed.

Biting her bottom lip, Kate scowled and remained silent. On hearing no answer, Dick thought about changing the topic. "So what're _you_ up to these days?"

"_Me_?" Kate blew a puff of air out of her mouth, "I'm just being bored to _death_."

Lies, lies, _all_ lies.

"All I do is eat, sleep and watch TV. There's _nothing_ else to do!"

The blonde gave a deep sigh, "I'm gonna get _fat_ if this keeps up."

"I _don't _want you getting fat." Dick mumbled under his breath.

He cocked his head, feeling her fingers run circles on his neck. "You could use the training room in the manor." He suggested, not catching how Kate frowned at him. "That room is filled with _acrobat_ stuff,"

She huffed, "How am _I_ supposed to use that?"

"I'll _teach_ you if you like," Dick offered and Kate's blue eyes suddenly sparkled. "_Really_?" She asked, a smile spreading on her lips.

He nodded, "As soon as I get done with the Bloodlust business, I will."

Kate narrowed her eyes, the blue orbs flashing crimson as her jaw clenched tightly. Her hands wrapped around Dick's neck, middle finger tracing the bulge of his Adam's apple. Maybe if she killed him right here and threw his dead body in the swimming pool, then she wouldn't have to deal with the problem of ever encountering Nightwing again.

Two strong hands suddenly clasped onto her wrists, startling her. She looked down only to find the Romani's head tipped back as he grinned at her.

"Whach ya thinki'n?" Dick smirked, finding her wrists cold to the touch.

Kate pondered about telling how she was picturizing killing him but thought against it. "Just so bored!" She gave a tight smile.

Smirk still plastered on his face, Dick got up from his seat and took a step towards the glass door. "Come on," He motioned her to follow.

Without any questioning, Kate followed him inside.

As they walked through the halls, Kate couldn't help but ask. "Where're we going?"

Dick smirked, "Where do you think we're going?" He asked as they approached the same grandfather clock, Kate had discovered a few days ago.

The blonde blinked a few times, trying to digest the fact he was leading her to the Batcave. Her lips pulled themselves into a cocky smile as Dick moved the clock's needles.

"Your _bedroom_?" Kate smirked, watching interestingly as the clock shifted aside to reveal a dark passage.

Her face heated up when the young man gave a toothy grin, sapphire eyes shining. "Well, we could go _there_ if you like." He wiggled his eyebrows, making a small blush dust her cheeks.

Tossing a coy smirk, she stepped inside the passage before walking down the stairs, eyes drinking every detail of the enormous cave.

"_Cool_, huh?" Dick grinned, walking ahead of her.

She cocked her head, smirking back. "It would've been cool if you guys _hadn't _knocked me out." Kate complained, attention more on the batcomputer rather than the Romani.

She quirked a blonde eyebrow when they reached a number of bright blue layered lights fixed inside the cave's wall.

But before she could question, Dick stepped inside it, hands propped on his hips. "Come on!" He smirked, a bright blue light enveloping him.

Kate had to blink a few times, not believing it when the blue-eyed man _dissapeared_ somewhere in the light.

* * *

**Recognized: Nightwing B Zero One: Authorized: Guest A Zero Six**.

Eyes tightly shut, Kate slowly walked out of the Zeta beams, arms wrapped protectively around her torso. There was so much bright light that she couldn't quite clearly process the computerized voice that had echoed around her.

Carefully opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was Dick smirking at her, standing near what seemed to be a dimly lit holographic computer.

"Welcome," He grinned, spreading his arms wide. "To the _Watchtower_!"

The blonde felt her eyeballs bulging out of their sockets as she took in the sight of outer space. Bringing her fists up, she rubbed her eyes, almost as if thinking she was dreaming.

"Woah." She breathed in awe, inching closer to the glass and pressing her face against it. "This is so _cool_!" Kate exclaimed, her warm breath drawing fog onto the clear glass.

"I know, right?" The Romani chuckled, hands on his hips.

As the blonde turned around, he rewarded her with a grin. "You wanna have a _tour_?"

For a second, Kate couldn't believe her ears. "That'd be _great_!" She beamed, skidding at his side. And then something clicked her.

Giving him a questioning look, Kate asked. "_Where_ is everybody?"

Dick gave his shoulders a bounce, "It's _four_ am." He cocked his head, "Everyone's _sleeping_."

The blue-eyed young man started walking forward, the blonde quickly taking her place beside him. Looking around quite excitedly, Kate realized her face was starting to _hurt_ because of smiling so much.

"You guys work _here_?" She inquired, locking her hands behind her back.

Dick nodded, smiling. "Yup!" He answered, popping up the 'p'.

Kate replied with a grin, face beaming as she stared through the enormous halls. A sudden _bark_ made her whirl around. Her heart nearly jumped in her throat as her gaze fell on an enormous wolf, his tail swishing side to side as he bared his teeth out, like he would eat her any second.

"Wolf!" Dick chirped happily, petting the growling beast. "How are you, boy?"

Wolf seemed to pay him no attention, eyes locked on the ugly monster before him. He crouched low, growls escaping his throat as he glared at the blonde.

Kate quirked an eyebrow, taking a precautionary step away from Wolf who looked very furious at the moment. "Uh..." She stammered, "Is he a _pet_?"

Chills ran down her spine when Wolf barked at her, ready to pounce any second. Animals _never_ seemed to like her. They always tried to attack or run away from her. Kate couldn't blame them. If she ever saw her demon side in the mirror, she might try to claw her face too.

Relief filled her lungs when Dick stepped infront her, shielding her from the angry wolf. "Woah, Wolf. _Relax_!" The first Robin said, staring when Wolf glared at the young woman behind him. "She's a _friend_!"

Straightening his back, Wolf sat back on the floor, golden eyes flickering with hatred.

Dick smiled. "Good boy,"

Kate peeked from behind him, "He doesn't _bite_," She smirked as Wolf growled, "_Does_ he?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Dick smirked back. "Not unless Conner _wants_ him to."

Not asking who this Conner was, Kate reached forward, ignoring how Wolf sent her murderous looks as her hand hovered above his head. The corners of her lips quirked into a sly smirk as she crouched down, gaining eye level with the beast.

"Who's a _good_ little wolf?" She cooed, smirk firmly plastered on her face as her brilliant blue eyes flashed a bloody red.

Wolf winced when she patted his head, ears pulling back as low growls began leaving his lips. All he wanted to do was to tear apart the hideous being infront of him. His glare remained cold as Kate gave him a teasing smirk, getting up and offering a smile to Dick.

"He doesn't like you very much," Dick commented as they continued their walk.

Kate smiled brightly at him, "Animals don't like _me_ much." She replied as they rounded a corner.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?" Animals always liked him.

"Dunno," The blonde answered before pursing her lips. "Can you really _teach_ me?"

Dick rewarded her with a confused look, "Teach you _what_?"

"A few _fighting_ moves." Kate answered, voice smooth and calm.

He gave a questioning glance, "You wanna learn how to _fight_?" He inquired.

The young woman tilted her head up, a smile spread on her face. "I thought since I'm living with the amazing Batman and his great protégés-"

"_Ex_-protégés," Dick corrected her with a cough.

Kate mentally rolled her eyes, "Ex-protégés." She smirked, eyes sparkling. "Then _maybe_ you guys could teach me some good combat techniques."

She cursed under her breath when the Romani folded his arms behind his head, "You seemed to know great combat techniques in the cave back _there_." He pointed out, reminding her display of surprising strength in the batcave.

Kate kept the innocent smile, "Oh _that_?" She gave a girlie laugh, "That was just _luck_."

"Well, it _didn't_ look like luck to me." Dick replied flatly, amused when her jaw clenched. "And why do you wanna learn how to fight anyway?" He asked, cocking his head.

Giving a small sigh, Kate winked. "For _self defence_." She smiled mischievously, bumping her hip with his.

Tossing her a grin, Dick gave a friendly smile. "We're _not_ gonna hurt you, Kate."

But damn, she wanted to hurt them _so_ much.

"We're the good guys, _remember_?" He laughed, patting her back. "You don't need to be scared of _us_." He assured, smiling widely.

_You all need be scared of me_. "I'm not scared of anyone," She answered dryly before a smirk curled her lips. Squaring her shoulders, the blonde placed a left hand on her hip and ran the right through her sunny locks.

"I mean, a beautiful girl like me living with the bunch of rich boys could be in _danger_, right?" She grinned, batting her eyelashes at him.

Her teeth gritted together slightly when Dick's eyes seemed to shine, heat crawling across his cheeks as he grinned from ear to ear.

"Someone's _really_ proud of their beauty," The Romani mused, smirking at her.

Kate grinned toothily before asking, "So should I consider that as a _yes_?" She inquired, hooking her arm with his.

The raven bit his bottom lip, eyebrows knitting together. "I _don't_ know." He said to himself thoughtfully, imagining Bruce's angry face.

Shooting him a frosty glare, Kate sighed, slipping her arm away from him. "It's alright," She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

A smirk stretched her lips when the Romani sighed, offering a tight smile. "_Fine_." Dick grinned when the blonde looked up at him, an equal grin framing her lips.

"Thank you _so_ much, Dick!" Kate grinned from ear to ear.

He smiled, "Welcome,"

Scratching the back of his head, Dick laughed. "It's not like you're gonna pull on a costume and start playing hero, _right_?" He chuckled, not noticing the sly look on Kate's face.

"I can't even _hurt_ a fly," Kate grinned. "How can _I_ be a hero?" She was starting to realize how much she was lying these days. But it didn't matter.

She _wasn't _expecting a present from Santa anyway.

Wrapping her arms around herself, Kate glanced to the twinkling stars outside before biting her lower lip. "You trust me a lot, _don't_ you?"

Dick smiled at the question, "Well, _of course_ I trust you."

"Mr. Wayne doesn't trust me _much_." Kate mumbled, scowling.

"Bruce takes some time trusting people," Dick looked down at her, "But once he gets to know how _reliable_ you are, he'll trust you." The Romani assured, smiling at her. "Me, Jason, Tim and even Damian!- he might _not_ show it- but we all trust you and Blake."

Guilt began filling up her body, making Kate feel miserable. She brushed the feeling off, flicking her gaze up to Dick and forced a smile.

His smile made her feel even _worse_.

* * *

"_Don't _attack now, Robin."

Damian scowled deeply, the white lenses of his domino mask narrowing as he glared at the number of goons standing there, just ready to be beaten by him.

Despite knowing the fact his father couldn't see him, he nodded, eyes fixed on the men like a predator stalks its prey.

It was a building, not just any building but a sky scraper that was under construction. The bottom of the building had been made, and the enormous strong iron bars had been set up. The building's owner was very slow, constructing the scraper more once every _six_ months. Damian thought it was stupid, but not everyone owned a lot of money like his father, now did they?

Robin growled silently, watching how one of Gotham's drug sellers had started using this place for their business.

_Tt_. It was going to be their last duty on work tonight.

He knew Batman was somewhere in the shadows, just like he was. And if the boy had a tail, it would've been swishing side to side as he waited for the dark knight's order to start knocking the buffoons out.

That's when two gun shots echoed through the air, quickly followed by two of the goons dropping dead to the dirty ground, blood bursting out between their foreheads.

With a fluent curse in Arabic, the fourth boy wonder slipped out of the shadows, ignoring Batman's order to _wait_, and started throwing punches and kicks on the men who were already startled by the fact that their two partners lay dead at their feet.

A growl escaping his throat, the dark knight walked out into the light, scowling as his son mercilessly beat the goons who were showering on him from all sides. None of them was able to land a hit on the kid, though.

Lifting his chin up, the caped crusader's lips pressed into a straight line when a crimson colored pony tail came into view.

Heels playing interesting clicks on the huge rectangular iron bars, the scarlet-haired woman smirked at him, making his eyes narrow behind the black cowl.

The gun's nozzle still exhaling smoke, Bloodlust brought it up in the air, as her grip tightened around the weapon.

She glanced at the corpses on the ground before tossing a cocky smirk to Gotham's protector.

_No_.

He _wasn't _Gotham's protector. She _was_.

And this night was about to get really _ugly_.

* * *

**A\N**: _Cliffhanger_! I just love leaving cliffhangers. I would've updated sooner but my house was getting painted. And I am still helping my mom and brothers to readjust the furniture. :)

I have the other chapter written out. I just need to recheck it and stuff. And I might (_hopefully_) update next week ^_^

Thanks for reading, m'dears~


	15. Better than You

**A\N**: Thank you very much for the paw-some reviews, favs and follows! :D I feel so happy that you all like Kate. Heartily thanks to everyone~

Also, I'll like to repeat that this story is High-T. So if you find something disturbing then just blame it on Kate 'cause she's a demon 3:)

P.S I know gunshot wounds don't need stitches (unless necessary) but I've got some things in my mind, Kay? ;)

Without further ado, _enjoy_!

* * *

Already knowing who was the manager of this drug business, the gun in Bloodlust's hand was aimed towards him. But before she could pull the trigger, a black shaded boomerang came flying up, colliding with her wrist.

Her teeth gritting together, she clamped her other hand on her bruised wrist, the gun dropping somewhere down the far away ground. She snapped her head down, grey eyes promising murder as they landed on the dark knight.

Batman coldly glared at her, his cape swishing behind him as he briskly approached the under construction building.

Hands balling into fists, Bloodlust scowled, stepping behind the enormous iron bar to shield herself from the shower of bullets raining outside. Her gloved hand made its way to her utility belt as she slipped down the large iron bar.

The red-head's feet touched the ground just as she found something in her belt. Pulling it out, her silver eyes stared at it. Bloodlust arched an eyebrow at the small metal stick. Her grip tightening around it, she vomitted a curse, swearing to kill Talia when she would encounter her again.

"The hell am I supposed to do with a freaking _stick_?!" She barked, glaring at it while her free hand began fishing in the belt again.

Her brows furrowed upon seeing strange circular masses of metal. "Are these _marbles_?" She mumbled, head suddenly whipping up when the men started reaching her.

A beeping noise caught her off guard, making her look back at the '_marbles_' resting on her palm. She quirked a red eyebrow, seeing them blink bright red dots. Realization slapped her hard across the face as she threw them at the men, eyes widening when the blinking marbles blew up into explosions, throwing the men aside.

Those weren't marbles. They were _bombs_.

A grin stretched Bloodlust's lips, feeling that Talia wasn't that bad after all. That's when her palm accidentally hit the button resting on the metal bar. Her grin grew wider when the metal bar extended in length, forming a bo-staff.

"Great," Bloodlust smirked, eyes fixed on the furious men running up to her. "The only problem now is that I don't know how to use a staff." She frowned, getting into a fighting stance.

Guns had always been her favorite weapon. They were easy to use, easy to handle, easy to carry and very easy to _kill_ people from large distances. They were the most frequently used weapons by her and by Miss. Pricks.

Bloodlust was lost in thought as she kicked a few of the men, hand pulling out another small bomb. As she flipped over one of them, she clamped it to his head, landing on her feet with grace.

The beeping noise was there again, making her grin like a devil as she whirled around, stormy gaze falling on the man as the beeping ceased. And just as she had expected, his head blew up, bits and pieces of flesh exploding like a bursting watermelon.

"_Woah_!" Bloodlust grinned from ear to ear, ignoring how the headless dead body fell to the dirty ground. "Talia Al Ghul," The corners of her lips quirked into a smirk, grip tightening on the metal staff.

"If you were here, I would've _made_ _out_ with you right now!"

Not even caring how absurd the comment sounded, the females vigilante charged at the men, eager to know more about the newly stashed weapons provided by the League of Shadows.

Audible cracks of breaking bones rang in the blood scented atmosphere as the staff landed on the men's backs, heads and chests. Then it got mixed with screams and cries, but it all felt like _music_ to her ears. Soft and slow music expertly being made by her.

Grey eyes sparkling with a satisfied smirk across her lips, the scarlet haired beauty tracked the leader of the men.

Fredrick Jeremy was his name, eyes pale green and skin darkly tanned, clothes consisting of an old ripped jacket and greasy brown pants. The man was currently shooting bullets at the boy wonder and sadly missing every time.

A surprised yelp left his mouth when two strong hands grabbed the back collars of his jacket, nearly making him choke as he was slammed against one of the enormous iron bars.

He collapsed onto the ground, eyes matching the size of dinner plates as they came across a very furious looking woman. Just when he tried to get back up, a foot was hurled in his stomach.

Gasping, he clutched his aching abdomen when a hand pulled at his black locks, pressing him against the cold iron.

Pale green eyes looked upwards, fear waving in them as they met steely grey ones.

"Now," Bloodlust eyed him menacingly, a smirk resting on her lips.

She rose the staff up in the air, fingers firmly wrapped around it. "This'll hurt just a _bit_."

Bringing it down, a blood curling scream erupted from Frederick's mouth as the staff's end slammed into his head. He screamed, arms and legs thrashing widely while the staff dug deeper.

A foot got buried in his stomach again, holding him in place as the staff was pulled out from his head. "Stay _still_!" Bloodlust commanded, forcing the metal staff down again.

It smashed into his skull this time, making him scream loud enough to burst one's ear drums. Bloodlust scowled, stirring the staff in his head almost like she was mixing a cake's batter.

The man's eyes went glassy, jaw hanging open as his screaming ceased and head cocked motionlessly onto his shoulder.

The female vigilante slowly pulled the staff out, eyes settled on Frederick's dead body. She brought the staff's blood dripping end to her nose, sniffing at the strange scent of the crimson liquid.

"God!" She tipped her head back with a laugh, "I forgot how _fun_ this was." Bloodlust grinned, twirling the staff in her hand.

Taking a step forward, a fist came crashing against her cheek. The young woman lost her balance, hitting the ground on her side. The staff was still tightly in her grip when she got on her knees, tongue sweeping across her teeth to check if she had lost a tooth.

_Luckily_, she hadn't.

Pushing herself back on her feet, Bloodlust glowered at Robin whose features were gracing a scowl.

He snapped his head at Frederick's dead body, gaze hardening on seeing the descent sized hole in the centre of his head before looking at the brown tainted end of her staff.

"You disgust me," Robin snarled furiously.

But before she could respond, he was infront of her, throwing clenched fists her way. She didn't get enough time to breathe as he started showering punches over her face.

She almost thought she saw stars dancing around her head as her whole body jerked left and right, his green gloved hands pushing her from one side to the other.

Jaw clenching, her free hand grabbed onto one of his flying fists. She wondered what Alfred fed him.

The boy wonder gave a snort, face scrunching up into a snarl.

Bloodlust toppled to the ground when he delivered a hard kick to her stomach. As she staggered up again, Robin walked forward, fists placed on his hips.

"Tt." He made that arrogant noise again. "You are _weak_," He told her, glaring as the redhead caught her breath.

"Nightwing and Red Hood are dimwitted idiots to lose against you."

Bloodlust swallowed, not quite happy with the fact she was losing from a ten-year old. The boy had some damn good moves up his sleeve.

Swaying the staff in the air, she charged forward. But Robin dodged her every blow, not amused by her lack of landing a single hit on him.

Grabbing the staff before it hit his head, Robin gave her a miniature batglare. "Amateur," He taunted sullenly.

Feeling her blood boil, Bloodlust tried yanking the staff out from his grip, but the boy remained firm, his arm stretched above his head with the staff clenched tightly in his hand. That's when the redhead's palm touched another small button fixed in the metal staff.

_Electricity_.

Bright blue currents of electricity began crackling across the staff's opposite end, surprising the young woman.

A hiss left the boy wonder's mouth when the current passed through his body, strong enough to make him gasp and drop onto his knees, leaving him sore and silently moaning.

Bloodlust pulled the staff aside, eyes wide as she peered at Robin who sat on the ground, groaning. He didn't look like the same boy who was whooping her ass a few seconds ago. Rather, he looked weak and in pain.

Part of her wanted to help Damian, considering he was still a child but the other part wanted to laugh. Laugh and beat him into a bloody pulp and make him see how better she was than him.

How better she was _than_ Batman.

"Robin!" Batman yelled out to his protégé as he ran towards him.

What made him stop dead in his tracks was when the redhead had yanked the boy up by his collar and had a knife dangerously pressed against his throat. Batman's gaze flicked from his son to the woman who held him captive.

"Don't move a muscle," Bloodlust ordered, knife awfully close to the boy's neck.

A feeling of victory danced around her upon seeing the dark knight oblige, his eyes not leaving the knife for a second.

The caped man spoke gravely, "Don't do anything you'll regret later."

He was _calm_. But she knew he wasn't calm from the inside. Inside, his heart was tying itself into a tight knot as he saw death dangling above his son, ready to strike any minute. It made her feel victorious.

"Do _not_ listen to her,"

Bloodlust was highly amused when Damian tried to talk. She was even more amused when he tried to struggle away from her clutches. Though, she didn't feel sorry when she began digging the knife in his shoulder.

He bit his bottom lip, causing her to bury the knife deeper. Her gaze shifted to Batman, his icy glare settled on her as he watched the sharp knife slice through the boy wonder's kelvar and make contact with his skin.

Kate got the idea that the knife had touched his shoulder when Robin gave out a painful hiss.

"What do you want?" Batman questioned coldly.

_I want you all to die_. "Out," Bloodlust replied, scowling deeply. "I want you out of this city!" She deadpanned.

Shooting a frosty glare to Robin, she plunged the knife deeper when he tried to snap at her. Batman's eyes grew narrow upon seeing the fast spreading red stain on his partners shoulder.

The woman was insane. And she was going to kill his son.

That's when he spotted some movement. A few feet away from them, a man staggered up from the ground. The dark knight assumed he was one of the people the woman had beaten up. The man held _something_ up, something he couldn't see quite properly.

Bloodlust didn't know why Batman's jaw suddenly clenched. And right when she was going to snap that he should pay attention to her when she's talking, she was taken aback by a gunshot.

A curse committed from her mouth as pain spread like fire in her leg. She pushed Robin forward, causing the boy to face plant on the dirty ground before she herself collapsed down.

Despite the pain in the side of her thigh, she glared viciously at the man who had shot her. Without wasting a single second, she had thrown the knife his way with full force. Satisfaction washed over her when the blade hit his throat, killing him in instants.

Pain crawled over her leg, making her grit her teeth as she sat there on the cold ground, hands pressed against the bullet hole in her thigh, trying to slow the leaking stream of blood.

Her gaze shifted to Batman.

The caped crusader crouched at his son's side, murmuring sentences that he'll be okay as he pulled him in his arms. She bit her tongue then, seeing how gently the man was handling Damian. Ever so silently, she pushed herself up before taking unbalanced steps away from them all.

"Father," Robin mumbled meekly, flinching when Batman pulled him up in his arms.

He felt so pathetic. "Get her, Father."

Batman glanced back over his shoulder, only to see the crippled bodies of men. "She's left," He told him, walking forward.

Robin scowled, "She has gotten shot. She would not have gotten far-"

"I am _not_ leaving you," came the man's stern reply.

He tried to argue, "I am _fine_!"

"No, you're not."

"But Father-"

Batman glared, instantly silencing him. "Let's get you treated." He frowned, stalking towards the batmobile.

* * *

Collapsing down onto the cracked concrete, Bloodlust gasped because of the sharp stings of pain in her thigh. "This is so not good," She hissed, groaning before doubling over the horrific pain.

She remembered when Miss. Prick's had purposely shot her in the arm. Kate remembered crying on it too, screaming when the elder woman pulled the bullet out infront of her. And then another bullet was shot in her other arm, Mama P ordering to take it out by herself.

So replaying how her teacher had done it, Bloodlust pulled out a knife, its blade sharp and glistening. The redhead pushed the skirt and leggings down to her ankles.

She took a deep inhale as the knife's tip touched the sides of the bullet wound. Her eyes squeezing shut as she forced it inside her thigh, applying force to yank the bullet out of the flesh.

As the bloodied piece of metal clattered to the ground, she threw the knife away, hands flying onto the wound, with her mentally screaming in the back of her head. Turning on the nearby tap, she splashed the water on the wound, hissing as the ice cold water touched her warm flesh.

She didn't care if the water came from the Gotham sewers.

Hands fishing in her utility belt, she found a small glass bottle. She blinked, thinking why the liquid inside it was green and bubbling. A small label reading '_incase you get hurt_' was pasted on it.

Bloodlust scowled, placing the bottle aside and looking for something else to reduce the pain. She still didn't trust Talia.

After finding a narcotic, she swallowed it down her throat, hoping that the strong painkiller will relieve her from the pain after about an hour or so. Pulling out a medical string and needle, she stared at them before sighing.

Her hands didn't shake as she brought the stringed needle close to her wound, ready to make stitches. This was going to hurt a _lot_.

* * *

**A\N**: Annnnd... done! :D So what do you think? Feel free to let me in your thoughts, guys! I love hearing them ^_^ Keep _smiling_ ~


	16. My Very First Kill

**A\N**: Hi guys! Look who came back from the dead?! *high fives Jason* I am so sorry for the delayed update. Hope you all will forgive me :3

* * *

It had been a while since the last time someone shot her. She used to rip the arms out from the torso before anyone ever got a chance to do so anyway. She blamed it on Batman. She blamed everything on Batman. Everything bad that happened in her miserable life, making it even more miserable was just because of him. It was _all_ his fault.

Pulling the covers over her head, Kate groaned as light filled the room.

"It's time to wake up!"

The blonde ignored the cheery voice, snuggling more into the warm and soft pillow. "Go away," She mumbled out loud, fisting the white covers whilst pulling the burnt teddy bear closer to her chest.

She felt someone take a seat beside her on the bed, but she ignored it, squeezing her eyes shut. Her body was still aching because of last night's patrol. It was almost like she was hit by a truck, making her whole body scream with pain. _Damn_ Damian and his assassin training!

"Oh, come on, sleeping beauty! The Sun's calling us outside!"

"Go away, Blake!"

There was a small pause, before a chuckle followed. "You think I'm Blake, huh?" The cheery voice laughed.

Blue eyes snapping open, Kate swiftly jolted up. She wasn't expecting her nose to crash into someone else's. She recoiled, falling back onto the mattress.

Her hands flying towards her nose, the blonde groaned painfully, feeling pain rush through her face as her head rested onto the soft pillow. She bit her bottom lip, swallowing the curses that wanted to come out so bad.

"Jeez, Kate. I didn't know you liked waking up while _crushing_ people's noses with yours."

The young woman looked over at her side, only to find Dick clutching his nose just like she was.

He offered her a tight smile.

"Mr. Grayson?" She blinked, slowly getting up. "What're you doing here?!" Kate questioned, forgetting about her aching nose and pulling the covers up to her chest.

The Romani awarded her with an unamused look, smirking. "Are you naked or something?" He laughed.

Blood rushing up to her cheeks, Kate mentally cursed as she released the sheet, allowing it to fall down into her lap. She forced a pretty smile at him, hands pulling a little at the hem of her black T-shirt to make sure no unnecessary flesh was visible. Her eyes glanced at the clock before settling back on him before she whipped her head at the clock again.

"It's six in the _morning_!" Kate scowled, glaring at Dick.

He grinned, blue eyes shining. "'Course, it's six in the morning. I'm here to wake you up."

Kate dug her nails into the mattress, silently inhaling. "This is seriously not the time for me to wake up, Dick." She kept her voice as sweet as possible, not trying to snark.

"Well, you're gonna get up and we're gonna start _training_." Came the awfully cheery reply.

Quirking a golden eyebrow, Kate gave a questioning look. "_What_ training?" She asked, scratching the dried saliva on her cheek.

Dick rolled his eye before fixing her with a grin. "The training _you_ wanted me to give you."

She blankly stared at him, taking in his appearance that was a plain blue shirt along with a simple pair of white trousers. Blue irises looked back up at the clock from the corners of her eyes, her mind busy in calculating the total time period in which she had slept. She had come back from patrol at about two o'clock in the morning so according to her, she had slept for only four hours.

Kate gave out a deep breath.

Just a _four_ hour sleep. No wonder her head was throbbing like hell.

"So fresh up and I'll meet you down stairs, Kay?" Dick smiled, hopping off the bed and making his way to the door.

Kate couldn't believe she actually whined. "But it's _Sunday_!" She averted her gaze when Dick awarded her with an unimpressed look.

"Bruce made me do training earlier when it was Sunday." He told her, smiling. "You should be happy I'm not him."

Kate groaned in response, running her hands through her messy hair as she nodded. "I'll be righ-" And that's when she noticed something. Looking up at him, her blonde brows furrowed. "Where's Blake?"

The boy had been constantly ignoring her since the day she had slapped him. Though he talked normal, laughed normal and acted normal, Kate was quite sure that in the inside Blake was very depressed by the fact that she had hurt him.

Again, it was _all_ Batman's fault.

"Blake's with Damian." Dick replied, opening the door. "Your brother's a morning person, remember?"

Bringing her palms up to her face, Kate rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, I forgot." She mumbled, straightening her back.

Dick smiled, ready to close the door but stopped, his gaze landing on something. He stared at it for a second before turning to Kate, the blonde busy in rubbing her eyes. "Where did you get _that_?"

Pathetically looking at him, Kate followed his gaze, teeth suddenly chewing on her tongue. "Oh _this_?" She smiled innocently, holding up the green bow tied teddy bear, its sides burnt and fur slightly scorched.

It had somehow survived the fire.

"I got it from a few _friends_,"

The Romani cocked his head, eyeing the stuffed toy. "It looks a little _familiar_,"

"I guess it does." She muttered under her breath, frowning. Looking back up, Kate smiled. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

With a smile, the door was softly shut and as soon as it was, Kate scowled deeply. "Can't even get some fucking sleep." The blonde grumbled, throwing off the sheets before pushing her feet into a pair of slippers.

A sudden hiss left her mouth as her fists tightly clenched the mattress. Kate breathed heavily, biting down hard on her bottom lip as she felt needles pricking at her thigh. Grabbing onto the waist band of her pajama shorts, she pulled it down, her icy gaze falling onto the bullet wound from last night.

Her lower lip began to tremble as pain shot through her leg like a current, the wound teasing her with its oozing blood and pus.

* * *

"As I was trained by the Batman, I know how hard combat training can be." Dick started, pacing back and forth. "But since I was _also_ an acrobat, practicing fighting techniques with the dark knight became a little eas-"

Kate interrupted him, glaring daggers. "I _change_ my mind," She scowled, placing a hand on her hip and cocked her head to the right. "I _don't _wanna get trained." She had fed herself a narcotic. The painkiller had worked instantly, relieving her from the pain but it was not going to last long.

Raising an eyebrow, the Romani smirked. "Once you have entered Richard Grayson's combat teaching class you _cannot_ retreat." He declared, smiling cockily.

"Oh, really?" Kate mused, glaring at him. "Can't I get _expelled_ or something?"

Dick laughed, "Nope." He glanced around the gym they were standing in before spreading his arms wide. "Now show me what you've got." He cracked her a grin.

The blonde arched an eyebrow, "So you want me to hit you?" She inquired dumbly.

"Yeah, now _start_ trying."

Kate tipped her head forward, sighing. "This is so _stupid_." She grumbled, sending him another glare.

Lazily lifting her fist up, she threw a slow punch at him. The young man stepped aside, smiling at her weak attempts. He leaned a little forward, softly poking the tip of her nose as if it was a button.

Kate blinked a couple of times, looking at him like he had grown a second head.

Dick laughed, blue eyes sparkling with mischeif. "Every time you miss," He grinned broadly, "I'll _poke_ you in the nose."

The blonde gave out what could be considered as a snort along with a roll of her eyes as she lazily tried punching him again, obviously missing and ended up with his finger poking her nose.

"Stop that," She snapped, getting slightly annoyed.

He cackled mischievously, poking it again when she missed. This was more fun than he had with Damian.

"I said stop it!" Kate growled, delivering a punch with more force this time.

But the young man easily dodged, reaching forward and playfully poking her nose.

"Quit it!"

_Poke_.

"_Agh_! Stop it!"

_Poke_.

"You're making me angry!"

_Poke_.

Teeth gritting together, Kate decided hitting the Romani square in the nose would provide her with great pleasure. But before her punch landed, he had easily tripped her. A hiss escaped her mouth when she ended hitting the floor right on her injured thigh.

She turned around, glare hardening as her eyes met Dick's.

The first Robin smiled softly, propping his hands onto his hips. "Think with your head," He advised, dodging a flying fist and tripping her onto the floor again.

Kate moaned, landing right on her aching leg.

"_Not_ with your fists." He completed, grinning toothily.

The blonde grinded her teeth together, jaw clenching tightly as she got back on her feet before pouncing on him. Dick simply stepped aside, poking her nose in the process as Kate tripped on her own this time, landing back onto the chipped floor

Another hiss left her lip, pain crawling over leg like a million ants. "I _hate_ acrobats," She growled, furiously glaring at Dick.

Unaware of what she said, Dick parted his lips to indicate her mistakes when a voice cut him off.

"The hell are you two doing?"

The raven and blonde simultaneously looked aside, both pairs of blue eyes meeting a pair of emerald green. Jason glared, stalking over to Dick whilst shooting Kate a glare who sat on the cold chipped floor.

"Hey, Jay." Dick greeted warmly, smiling at him. "I was just teaching Kate some moves and all."

The rogue-bird tipped his head to the side, glaring down at the elder man. "You're teaching her _what_?!"

"I said I was teaching her how to fight-"

Jason cut him off, shaking his head before glaring. "I always thought you were an idiot but now," He crossed his arms over his well-built chest. "I know it." He glowered at him. "When Bruce finds out, he's gonna beat the living crap out of you!"

Dick arched an eyebrow, placing his hands on his hips. "Relax, Jason. Bruce wouldn't-"

"You're teaching a civilian things that could kill a person! How can Bruce not be mad?!"

Crossing her legs as she sat on the cool floor, Kate propped her elbows onto her knees as she placed her chin in between her hands, her eyes fixed on Jason who was busy throwing an anger tantrum. Butterflies began fluttering in her stomach, a warmth pooling in her chest as she smiled up at him. She had liked him when she was younger, and had writhed in her pillow upon hearing his death. Eventually, she'd gotten over him, save the stupid dreams she sometimes had about him but she never complained about them, though.

And maybe, just maybe, her feelings for him were starting to grow again.

"Why are you looking at me like _that_?" Jason growled, finding her constant half-lidded eyes staring at him quite uncomfortable.

Kate blinked, a blush creeping over her face as she looked aside, trying to calm the rapid beating of her heart. The blonde mentally scolded herself. She was twenty-two. Not a sixteen year old teenager experiencing ravaging hormones.

Jason raised an eyebrow, amusingly watching her face turn back to its normal color as she offered him a weak smile.

Dick gave her a questioning look before turning his attention back to his adoptive sibling. "Look, Jaybird." The moment the nickname left the Romani's mouth, Kate started snickering.

"_Jaybird_?" Kate repeated, guffawing.

Snapping his head at her, Jason narrowed his green eyes. "What're you laughing at, Blondie?"

The blonde bounced her shoulders, smiling cockily. "Nothing... _Jaybird_!" She giggled, making Dick smile at her.

"Oh my God!" Kate continued laughing, clenching her sides. "The big bad Red Hood's got a nickname!" She laughed, enjoying how Jason's jaw clenched. "And it's _Jaybird_!"

Scowling deeply, Jason brought his glare towards Dick. The blue eyed man held his arms up in surrender, grinning from ear to ear.

"You just had to call me that, dick head."

"Aw, come on! You know you liked being called that, Little Wing."

Kate started roaring with laughter, "_Little_ _Wing_?" She giggled loudly, the pain growing in her thigh, but she was too busy laughing to notice.

A new voice spoke up, entering the conversation. "Whoa. What's so _funny_?" Tim inquired, lips curled into a smirk as he walked inside the enormous gym.

He quirked an eyebrow at Jason's scowling face before looking down at Kate, the young woman busy in laughing.

"None of your damn business, replacement." The second Robin hissed through gritted teeth. He glared daggers at Kate. "If you keep laughing like that, you're gonna end up dying, Rapunzel."

Tim paid him little notice, smirking at Dick who grinned in answer. Though when Red Robin's eyes met the blonde's laughing figure again, his eyes widened slightly. That's when Jason gave out a bark of laughter, the eyes of the Romani standing beside him growing wide.

Biting on his bottom lip and not looking at the floor, Tim stalked over to Kate, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Kate," He managed to say, only to be rewarded by laughter.

And God, he felt awkward. "Kate, you're _bleeding_."

The fits of giggles dying somewhere in the back of her throat, she gave a half-smile half-confused look. "What?" Kate asked incredulously, thinking she had misheard him.

Tim parted his lips to repeat when Jason beat him too it. "You're bladder's committing suicide," He pointed, grinning like a madman.

It took a few seconds for the blonde to understand what he had just said. She looked at herself, eyes widening like marbles as she spotted the growing stain of blood on her thigh. Holding in a gasp, she bit her bottom lip, a current of pain shooting up from the thigh to all of her body.

Her ears were to deaf to the voice of Tim, the boy asking whether she was alright.

Without a word, she had shot up on her feet, biting back a scream because of the protest of her leg. She tried not to put much pressure on the injured leg as she dashed out of the gym. It was going to be fine. Everything was going to be fine.

Just breathe in, breathe out.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Ignore the flaming pain growing every second.

Breath in, breathe o- Oh shit, this _hurt_!

Slamming the door shut behind her, Kate looked around bewildered. And God, the wound was making it so hard to think. In a flash, she had _kicked_ of her blue jeans, leaving her in a black underwear. Her teeth grinded together as currents of pain passed through her, making her gasp and her hands ball into tight fists.

Blue eyes peered over the wound, horror spreading on her face to see that blood was leaking out of it, pale yellow pus trickling down her leg. She threw the cupboard's door open, hands fishing around her clothes as her eyes searched for the utility belt.

Finally finding it, the blonde yanked it out before pulling out the glass bottle, a tag with the words '_incase_ you _get_ _hurt_' pasted over it. She stared it for a second, plopping down on her bed, her breath short.

Kate scowled, "Screw you."

Spinning its cap open, she pressed the bottle's rim to her lips, swallowing the grassy green bubbling liquid. As soon as it reached her throat, a fire began spreading with it. Kate gasped, pulling the glass bottle away from her mouth as her throat and oesophagus got pricked with a thousand needles.

The blonde clutched her throat, taking in deep breaths.

There was a knock at her door.

"Kate! Are you okay?" Dick's concerned voice entered the room.

Cursing, she tried her best to sound normal. "I'm fine." She rasped, clutching her throat.

Tim began worriedly. "Uh... I think we've got some sanitary napkins in the cave. You want Alfred to get you some?" He asked awkwardly.

Kate scowled, jaw clenching. "This is what I get for living with a bunch of boys." She mumbled, nails digging into the mattress as she breathed heavily.

"Jason's sorry for laughing!"

"Shut it, replacement!"

Were they all crowded around her door?

The fire began pooling in her stomach, her wound feeling like a hundred stinging needle. Kate found herself hugging her leg, doubling over the pain as she squeezed her eyes shut, rolling onto her bed.

"Kate, are you sure you're okay?"

She swore she heard the door creak a little, the door knob twisting. Her blue irises turned red, her jaw tight. "Don't come in!" Kate hissed, her voice hoarse and gruff. "Just go away!"

As her tensed muscles relaxed, Kate gave out a deep breath, staring at the white ceiling of her room. Licking her dry lips, she slowly sat up before looking over at her thigh. The young woman tried swallowing some saliva to wet her throat that was feeling like sand paper. Her eyes grew wide when she didn't see the gunshot wound. She blinked a couple of times, moving her hand over to her thigh, fingers brushing against her skin.

There wasn't any pain. There wasn't any blood. There was nothing else but clear and soft skin.

Ever so slowly, Kate got up from her bed. Taking a few steps towards her cupboard, she stopped, staring at herself in the full length mirror. She couldn't see the wound, she couldn't see the scars or the bruises she'd had for years.

Her head wasn't throbbing anymore.

Everything was alright.

It was all alright.

A sigh leaving her lips, she ran a hand through her long hair before turning to her bed. Carefully, she picked up the glass bottle, her grip tightening around it as she stalked towards her cupboard. Placing it in the belt, she hid it back in the drawer before pulling out a pair of black jeans.

She yanked the pants on before throwing the bloodied blue jeans in the bathroom.

The blonde plopped down on the bed again, exhausted and drowsy. Kate snuggled into the soft pillow, eyelids dropping as the comforting feeling of sleep took her in her embrace.

* * *

_Thump._

The voice startled her, causing her eyes to snap open and dart around the room. Kate pushed herself up, a familiar person coming clear in her vision.

"Blake?" She asked, looking at her sibling's back.

The boy slowly turned around, clothes draped over his shoulder and a burnt teddy bear stuffed in his armpit. "Oh, hey, Kate." Blake smiled meekly.

She instantly smiled back. Noticing the things he was carrying, she couldn't help but ask. "Where're you going with that?"

"Uhhh..." The ten-year old scratched his temple with the end of his toothbrush. "You just go back to sleep." He swayed the toothbrush in the air, smiling politely.

Swiftly turning around, Blake waltzed out the door.

Blonde eyebrows knitting together, Kate hopped out of bed. "Blake!" She called, kicking on her shoes as she patted her hair straight.

"Blake, stop!"

Hurriedly running out of the room, she spotted her brother walking off towards the other hall. "Blake!" She shouted, glaring as he flinched and stopped in his tracks.

She stomped over to him, angered that he wasn't listening to her. "Blake," Kate glared, standing infront of him. "Where are you going?"

His gaze rose upwards, chocolate brown eyes meeting hers.

"I was going to Damian's room." Blake squeaked, staring up at his sister.

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I want to."

Kate sighed heavily, propping her hands onto her hips. "Is this because of me slapping you? I said I was sorry." She smiled softly, looking down at him.

He looked to his right, burying his chin into his shoulder. "I just wanna go."

A frown framing her features, Kate sighed for the umpteenth time. "Blake..." She reached forward, cupping his face in her hands. She lifted his chin up, smiling warmly. "Is everything al-"

He cut her short, stepping back from her grasp. "Everything isn't fine!" The boy glared. "You're just-just..." Blake stammered, looking around bewildered before fixing her with a glare. "You're never there when I need you, Kate."

She blinked, trying to absorb his sudden outburst. "Of course, I'm there-"

"No, you're not!"

Gaze hardening, the blonde frowned at her sibling. "What's gotten in to you?" She inquired roughly.

Instead of answering, Blake posed a counter question. "Where are you at nights?"

Kate stared, stiffening at the question. She began calmly, "What do you mean where? I'm right-"

"Don't lie to me!"

Her hands curled into fists at her sides, blue eyes glaring down at him. "Don't raise your voice at me or else..." She threatened, looking furious.

"Or what?" He questioned snappily.

Jaw tight, the blonde narrowed her eyes. "Or else I'll rip your vocal cords out!" Kate hissed, leaning closer to him, her eyes flashing crimson.

Realization coming into her, she worriedly looked at him when Blake took a few steps back, horror creeping over his face. "Your eyes," He breathed unbelievingly, "They turned red for a second!" He seemed to shriek, looking at her as if she would eat him alive.

She ignored his reaction, forcing one of her pretty smiles. "Blake, let's just-"

"Oh my God, your eyes turned red!"

Kate scowled, sucking in air silently so she wouldn't loose it. "Why are you going to Damian's room?" She inquired smoothly, stepping back.

Watching how she relaxed, the boy hurriedly began walking past her. However, Blake winced when a hand clamped onto his shoulder. "Answer me, Blake." Kate growled and for a very strange reason, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand.

Giving out a sigh, Blake frowned. "I'm having those dreams again." His voice was weak.

The blonde bit her lip, blood running cold. "You're seeing _him_ again in them?"

Blake nodded miserably, shivers passing through his spine as the clown's face flashed through his mind. "He's coming for us, Kate." He spoke, sounding so depressed.

"Oh, Blake." Kate frowned, squeezing his shoulder. "As long as I'm here, that clown will never hurt any of us."

Though, she was taken aback when the brunette whirled around, his soft brown eyes filled with anger. "That's the problem!" He spat, glaring coldly. "You're never here!"

"I've been having nightmares for months and whenever I wake up, you're never there!"

Kate bit her bottom lip. "Blake, I-"

He interrupted her, looking up in her eyes with his jaw clenched. "Giving me hugs and stupid pecks on the cheek isn't everything, Kate!" He cried out, tears brimming up in those brown orbs. "If you really love me," He breathed in, closing his eyes for a brief second. "Then tell me where you are." Blake looked up at her, voice soft.

Swallowing, Kate parted her lips to answer before slamming them shut again and looking away. Her heart squeezed in her chest as Blake stared hopelessly at her. His face scrunching up into a snarl, he gave out a '_huh_' before stalking over to Damian's bed room.

But she stood there, her icy gaze fixed on the floor as a stab landed in her chest. Right on her heart. And then, there was the faint slamming of a door from nearby, making her take in a shaky breath.

He had left her. He'd left her just like that. All alone by herself.

There was suddenly a feeling. A feeling she had last felt when she was twelve. When her parents were ripped away from her. Leaving her all alone.

All alone just like she was now.

Tears bubbled up in her eyes, her bottom lip being pressed between her teeth as she tried to breathe. She wasn't a baby. She wasn't going to cry. It was Miss Pricks's first rule.

Never cry.

_Weak_ people cried.

Fists clenching and unclenching at her sides, she tried to stop the tears but they kept falling, rolling down her cheeks and make her feel so pathetic. "I'm not weak." She swallowed, squeezing her eyes shut, concentrating on something else.

Anything else but her brother.

But the pang in her chest just wouldn't go. It wouldn't stop hurting.

"Are you crying?"

The sudden voice surprised her, her chin cocking up to see a pair of emerald eyes. Biting her tongue, she pressed the heel of her palms to her eyes, rubbing them. "No," She managed to say, "I'm-I'm..." Kate hated shaky breaths. "N-not crying."

Jason arched an eyebrow, finding himself a little stupid to ask a question like that when he could clearly see tears on her face. He looked around, not getting any ideas why she was mopping around in the middle of an empty hall.

He came to the conclusion that this was basically the time for him to be little nice. "Are you okay?" He asked politely, even adding a smile with it.

Those three words were waiting to leave his mouth and every single tear she was hiding just burst out.

A sob left her mouth, tears flooding down her face as she passed him, her shoulder hitting his as she sped away. Kate needed to go somewhere. Somewhere she would stop crying. A place where she wouldn't be weak.

God, she didn't even cry when she was shot but she was crying over her brother. Her teeth gritted together at that thought, making her hate herself but the anger just made her weep more. It made tears come out more.

It added in her misery.

Sitting down on the step of the manor's verandah, her watery eyes glanced up. There were clouds in the sky, golden clouds that were going to grow black and then burst into a storm. Just like the night when her parents had their hearts ripped out of their lifeless bodies, the most horrible night in her damned life.

She buried her face in her knees, letting the tears fall. Letting the pain out with them. The pain she had suffered for the past ten years.

Her jaw clenched, muscles tensing as she blamed Damian for this. That demon spawn had taken her brother away. Like his father wasn't enough to make her life a piece of crap. Maybe Bloodlust should've killed Robin last night. Giving him a cut in the shoulder wasn't enough.

So she imagined it. She imagined Damian with a bullet hole through his head. She tried to imagine those bright blue eyes of his glazed over and unseeing, his body stiff and cold, a pool of blood forming around him.

It helped to sooth her down.

Crouching down beside her, Jason settled his gaze on her weeping form. Normally, he would've been happy to see someone cry when they started making fun of him. But for some reason, he didn't find joy in it at the moment.

A gust of wind blew, making him shiver and pull his green jacket closer to himself. "What happened?" He tried again, attempting to sound soft. But speaking soft wasn't his style, so his voice came out like a slur.

He was almost surprised how she'd understood it.

"Blake left me," Kate finally said something. She lifted her head up to look at him, tears coming to a stop. "He said I don't love him and he's going to stay in Damian's room from now on."

Jason stared at her disbelievingly. "So let me get this straight," He cocked his head, looking highly unimpressed. "You're crying 'cause Blake doesn't wanna be with you anymore?" The rogue-bird found the information not worth any interest.

He didn't look amused. "Wow. I guess periods do make girls sensitive."

Jason smirked smugly when her cheeks flushed a rosy pink. Though, he winced as Kate gave out a sob, burying her face into her knees again.

"Uh..." Was it just him or was he sounding like an _idiot_? "You wanna have some chocolate? I heard from Babs that they help a lot in a time like this."

He cringed upon hearing another loud sob. The second Robin glared at her, not knowing why she was making such a big fuss about this.

"Damian tried murdering me a lot of times," Jason told her gruffly. "You don't see me bawling my eyes out."

She whipped her head at him, a burning look in her eyes. "It's because I actually care about my brother." Kate snarled furiously.

He narrowed his green eyes. "I care about my brothers."

The blonde snorted, rubbing her eyes with her fists. "Someone give Jason Peter Todd the liar of the year award." Sarcasm dripped from her tone as she sniffed.

"Don't try to be sarcastic." Jason warned, glaring as a gust of cold wind blew again.

Both of them shivered.

Their eyes moved towards the sky again, only to meet golden clouds along with the crying bodies of birds struggling against the strong winds. Pulling the jacket closer to himself, Jason cocked his head at Kate. "How'd you know my name?" He asked with an arched brow.

"What?" She sounded confused.

"You called me Jason 'Peter' Todd. Not many people know my middle name."

Her face heated up and Kate didn't feel like answering. "I guessed," She mumbled out loudly, hugging her knees.

Tossing a smirk, he got up on his feet before stepping infront of the blonde. Sky blue eyes met his forest green ones, and Jason swore he caught her blushing.

He grinned, mentally chuckling when she attempted to glare at him, but only to result in burying her face in her right shoulder, her cheeks burning pink.

"I was going out," Jason smirked, stuffing his fists into the pockets of his red jeans. "You wanna come with me?"

She curiously looked up at him. "Out where?"

"Just out,"

The corners of her lips twitched upwards, "So, you're asking me out?" She had that kittenish quality in her voice all of a sudden.

Jason smirked cockily. "Do you want me to ask you out?" His smirk morphed into a grin on seeing her face heat up at the question.

"I'm actually gonna visit some friends," He told her, the air howling around them. "And maybe you'll like to get out of the manor too."

He watched as she pursed her lips in thought before offering a smile. Jason smiled back, holding out his hand to her. Kate blinked at it before looking up at him. The tears long gone, she clasped her hand with his, allowing him to help her up.

The strong wind blew again but the blonde paid it little notice, something warm blossoming in her chest as they made their way to the manor's garage. Her fingers were still tangled with his and when his began to loosen, hers tightened even more.

She didn't want to let go.

Kate had a sudden urge to softly tug at the strand of white hair hanging between his raven locks. It wasn't like it looked bad. It actually gave him a bad boy look. A look that fully complemented his personality. But he didn't have it when he was younger.

"Can you let go of my hand now?"

Jason's voice snapped the blonde back to reality. He gave a coy smirk as she grinned sheepishly, untangling her fingers from his.

Stalking over to a red and black highlighted bike, he took the helmet off the handles. He tossed it to her, dragging the vehicle out of the garage before getting on it.

Kate caught the helmet, her eyes fixed on the bike. "This is one of your MTT Turbine Streetfighters, isn't it?" She asked slyly, smirking as he answered with an amused look.

"Yeah," Jason replied shortly, eyeing her suspiciously. "How'd you know?"

The blonde smirked, "You told me."

"Really?" He mused. "When?"

Kate gave a smile, "I'm just messing with you," She laughed, walking closer to him. Placing the helmet over her head, she threw a quizzical look. "Aren't you gonna wear a helmet?"

The rogue-bird straightened up, bouncing his shoulders. "I like to feel the wind in my hair." Jason smirked proudly.

Rolling her eyes, Kate resisted the urge to tell him that he wore a full helmet as Red Hood. She was slightly startled as he kicked on the engine. The bike growled as he looked over at her, smirking like a devil.

He was a devil. She was a demon. It was a perfect match. Well, to her at least.

"Hop on," Jason gestured towards the backseat, his hands firmly holding the handles.

Kate offered a small smile, strolling over to his side. Sitting behind him, she adjusted the red helmet on her head. "Shouldn't we tell the others we're leaving?"

"Nah," Jason replied nonchalantly. "They'll eventually find about it when they find us missing."

Looking over his shoulder, he smirked at her. "You might wanna hold on tight," He advised, green eyes twinkling with mischief. "I don't pay attention to speed limits."

She responded with a grin, shifting closer as her hands slid from behind and clenched the front of his white T-shirt. Her head resting on his shoulder, she breathed in the scent of his cologne, heart fluttering in her chest.

Kate faintly heard Jason yell something out, probably telling Alfred to open the gates. She snuggled into him as he accelerated the bike. Driving out, the engine roared.

Blue eyes lazily looked upwards in the sky. Dark black clouds were massing in the blue hue, the wind whistling around them. Closing her eyes, Kate sighed softly.

Even this weather was enjoyable in Jason's company.

* * *

Maybe when Jason said he didn't pay attention to speed limits, he was not joking. He had driven at such a high speed, that even as Kate got off the bike, she could see the world spinning around her.

"God!" She groaned, taking the helmet off. "Try to drive like a sane person, Jason."

"Who ever told you I'm sane?" Jason asked smugly, getting off the vehicle.

Tossing him the helmet, the blonde looked around. The only things she spotted were trees, bushes and more trees. Apparently, they were standing in middle of a forest.

She turned to him, teeth clattering as a strong wind blew. "Why are we here?"

The young man offered a smirk, taking a few steps ahead. "My friends live here."

At first, Kate thought he wasn't serious but the way he started walking ahead, made her realize that he wasn't joking. "Your friends live in a forest?" She asked loudly, completely ignoring the glare he gave her.

"Are your friends human?" The blonde inquired, folding her arms over her chest as they continued walking.

Her brows furrowed on seeing the sight infront of her. About twenty boxes lay here and there on the grass, some of them open and some of them closed. There were cooking utensils in one, the other had clothes, one had beer bottles and- wait. Is there ammo in that one?

What caught her attention most was the enormous space ship behind them.

Staring at it all, Kate didn't see Jason turning to her, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Well, one of them is human." He smiled, looking at the boxes. "The other one's a Tamaranean."

"What's a Tamaranean?" She sounded confused.

Before he could answer, there was an orange blur charging towards him.

Kate's eyes widened on seeing a person, pulling Jason into a tight embrace and flying up with him. "Friend Jason!" The person with orange skin exclaimed joyfully. "It is so delightful to see you!"

She was a female, her skin a light color of golden, fiery red hair going down to her ankles and her eyes, she didn't have pupils. Her eyes as a whole had the color green pooled in them. The blonde eyed the purplish metallic armor she was wearing.

Jason was right. She wasn't human. Because since when humans starting flying and had orange skin?

Finding himself being crushed between her arms, the second Robin choked. "It's good to see you too, Kori." He offered a tight smile, his bones creaking in protest. "N-now can you p-please let me go?"

The red head flashed him a sorry smile, loosening her hold she levitated them down. "I am sorry." She smiled meekly, clasping her hands behind her back.

Jason simply nodded, patting his jacket straight.

The scarlet haired beauty turned her attention to Kate. The blonde was staring at her and instantly gave a friendly smile when she caught the girl looking.

"You have brought a fellow female friend!" The orange skinned woman smiled brightly.

Kate took a few steps back when the alien female floated closer to her. She didn't like aliens. The last one she met had nearly brain washed her.

"Greetings friend Jason's, friend!" The alien began sweetly. She gave a bow, not noticing Kate's muscles tense. "I am Kori'ander!" She introduced herself, "Princess of Tamaran."

"Princess?" Kate marveled.

Kori gave a friendly smile, clasping her hands infront of her chest. "You may refer to me as Kori, Starfire or even Star."

"What the hell is all the noise about?!" Someone barked furiously.

A stalked over to them, red hair and deep blue eyes. He was shorter than Jason, had on red jacket along with black cargo pants.

Kate had to blink a couple if times, absorbing the fact that he supported a metallic arm.

"Friend Roy!" Kori smiled from ear to ear, "Look! Jason has brought a fellow earthling with him."

The blonde's cheeks flared up as his crystal blue eyes wandered over her body, a smirk stretching his lips as he cocked his head at Jason. "Who's the cutie?"

Jason glared, scowling. "She's a friend."

"I can see that," Roy smirked, shifting his gaze to the blonde. "Hi. My name's Roy." He held his hand out, that mischievous spark in his eyes.

He was cute, Kate would give it that. His eyes were nice, he had a good build too. The only thing he needed was a hair cut.

Lips curling into a smirk, she wrapped her hand around his. "Nice to meet you, Roy." She gave it a squeeze, smirk growing on seeing him grin. "I'm Kate."

She wasn't expecting Jason to step up, grabbing their wrists and pulling their hands away. "Let's not get touchy," The rogue-bird scolded, eyeing Roy menacingly.

The red head ignored him, sending a wink the blonde's way who looked aside, a blush dusting her cheeks.

Kori gave out a squeal, flying further to Kate as the wind blew hard. "I was about to make lunch," She told her, smiling. "Will you care to join us?"

Kate smiled back, "I'd love to."

Throwing her hands up in the air, the alien princess cheered. "I have the joy!" Swiftly, she flew over to Roy. "Come, friend Roy! Let us make glabnorb for our new friend!" And before the ginger could protest, Kori had grabbed his arm, flying into the fallen spaceship.

What was a glabnorb? Kate didn't want to know.

She look around, taking a few steps forward as she eyed her environment. She turned to Jason, hands behind her back. "If you don't mind, can I look around this place?"

He bounced his shoulders, "Sure."

Kate tossed a smile, peering down the boxes as she walked between them. "You're friends are really strange." She commented, skipping over a box.

"The word strange becomes really normal when your Batman's son."

She gave out a laugh, her eyes coming across something she found pleasing. Pulling out a silver gun from one of the boxes, she examined it. Her fingers traced over the cool metal, eyes checking the small dents in the weapon.

"You wanna shoot?" Jason asked, watching how interestly she held the weapon.

Kate tugged a strand of hair behind her ear, "I've never used a gun in my life." She sounded so innocent.

"Well, you can try using one now." He smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

She gave a grin, placing a hand on her hip. "Mr. Grayson's teaching me a little acrobatics. I don't think I need to learn how to use a gun."

"Performing flips and hands springs don't cause much damage." He told her, walking over to her side. "Now a _gun_. It can cause a _lot_ of damage."

Hiding a smirk, Kate held it up, closing an eye as she bit the side of her lip.

Jason rolled his eyes, scoffing. "You're trying to shoot a bullet. _Not_ an arrow."

"Umm... Sorry." She laughed nervously, rubbing the gun against her other arm. Tightening her fingers around it, she held it up again, ignoring the cold wind brushing against her body.

Jason sighed.

Suddenly, he was behind her and as a result her heart began hammering in her chest. She became weak in the knees, feeling his arms slip from behind and his hands clasp around hers.

"It's easy," Jason smiled, his hot breath tickling her ear lobe.

Goosebumps scattered over her body.

Kate took in quiet inahle, hoping he couldn't see the blush dusting over her cheeks. Her grip on the weapon tightened as he slowly guided her hands up. The second Robin said something across the lines of keeping her shoulders straight but she didn't hear clearly.

Her ears were to occupied on the furious beating of her heart and her mind was being flooded by a memory.

She could remember it all like yesterday. The first time she touched a gun, the first time she killed.

* * *

Flipping the weapon in the air, Miss Pricks smirked when the gun landed back into her palm. She twirled it in her hands, brown eyes looking down at the small twelve year old who was so weak and skinny that she almost looked like a living skeleton.

"_This_," The woman began, swaying the weapon in the air. "Is called a _gun_."

Kate swallowed, bobbing her head up and down as she stared at the shining metal in her teacher's hand. She tried her best not to listen to the ear piercing music blaring out the office and the muffles of Marian, a girl with chocolate brown hair and hazel colored eyes, a girl who lay in between the office floor, a girl near to her death.

Marian muffled against the gag in her mouth, her brown eyes wide with fear and her tied legs and arms trembling. Her chest heaved, her eyes darting from Miss Pricks to Kate as she continued her struggles to escape.

Holding the gun's nozzle up to the little blonde's face, Miss Pricks's ruby red lips curled into a smirk. "_Smell_," She ordered, watching amusingly as Kate looked up at her with fear filled eyes.

The blonde cocked her head up a bit, sniffing at the gun's nozzle. Her nostrils flared upon breathing in the strong scent of gun powder, making her give out a series of coughs.

Rolling her orbs, Miss Pricks stretched her arms out, gun tightly held in her hands. "Ya straighten yar shoulders like this," The woman told her, squaring her own shoulders as she brought the gun towards Marian who looked like was going to faint any second.

"Now look how I aim at her shoulder," Miss Pricks explained, wrinkled filled finger pressing onto the trigger of the gun.

Kate's heart began pounding against her ribcage, legs feeling like jelly as a gunshot roared in the atmosphere. Marian gave out a muffled scream, a quite prominent crimson hole in her left shoulder. And for a very strange reason, Kate felt something warm trickle down her legs as her lower lip continued to quiver.

"Shit, Blondie!" Miss Pricks hissed, glaring murderously at the girl. "Can't believe ya actually _pissed_ on the freaking carpet!" She barked, jaw clenching as the blonde pulled her arms closer to herself, color draining from her face.

A sigh left her lips as she placed a hand on her hip before tossing the gun to the blonde.

Kate not being ready, shrieked as she stepped back, allowing the gun to land on the ground with a clatter.

Reaching forward, Miss Pricks clasped a hand onto her arm, pulling Kate towards herself. Her well-manicured nails dug into her arm as she picked the gun up and shoved it into the blonde's arms.

Miss Pricks's face twisted in disgust, "Ya're gonna clean that up." The woman glowered at her before pursing her lips.

She whirled Kate around, so she was facing Marian and Kate felt the gun slipping due to the sweat covering her hands. "I want a straight shot right between her eyes, Blondie." Miss Pricks informed, folding her arms over her chest.

Marian began choking on the gag.

"I _can'_t!" The blue eyed girl cried, bursting into tears.

Miss Pricks scowled, dragging a hand down her face. She leaned forward, grabbing Kate's chin and locked gazes with her. "If ya don't shoot, I'm gonna use yar brother as _target practice_ next time." She threatened, eyeing her menacingly.

Kate swallowed the lump in her throat, biting down hard on her bottom lip as the woman crouched down behind her. Two arms clasped onto her hands from behind her, holding the heavy gun up.

"Keep yar back straight," The blonde felt Mama P's hot breath on her earlobe, sending shivers down her spine.

Sucking in a deep breath, Kate obliged, squaring her shoulders and bringing the gun's direction towards the brunette bleeding on the carpeted floor.

"Good. Now try putti'n yar anger into it. Remember what that bitch has done to ya and then shoot. It'll feel _great_. _Trust_ ma."

Knuckles growing white, Kate narrowed her eyes at the bleeding girl, ignoring the begging looks she was giving her. She thought about it. She thought how Marian had forcibly fed her that cockroach, how the bruises on her arm were given by her. She thought that killing a monster from this world would make it a happier place.

Her finger traced the trigger, arms shaking a little as she pulled it back. There was a jolt followed by a loud bang, causing her weak form to jerk a little, her stomach churning.

Miss Prick's eyes seem to sparkle as she stood up, grinning as Marian lay on the floor, head lulled aside with a descent pool of blood covering her hair and spread around her dead form as blood continued trickling down from the hole between her glassy eyes.

"Ooh, good job!" The woman laughed, patting the blonde's back. "First time and yar got a fantastic aim."

Lowering the gun, blue irises looked up into brown ones, earning a grin.

The corners of her lips twitching up, Kate tightened her grip on the cold metal as she offered the woman a cocky smile. And ever so faintly, those blue sapphire eyes twinkled a ruby red.

* * *

**A\N: **Yay! Another chapter done :D Some people are monsters. No really, they are. I've seen a lot of Jokers in real life, but they just don't wear make-up or have a grudge with a man dressed in a black bat suit. But they're just as horrible as the clown prince of crime. And they like destroying innocent lives, like children and small lonely orphans :( We should be happy if we have parents, because the world outside is a very, very, _very_ cruel place.

Anyway, thoughts? Opinions? Comments? They're all more than welcomed~


	17. Trapped In Your Own Web

**A\N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews =^_^=

_Enjoy_~

* * *

Loud music and flashing lights were things that were never foreign to the blonde. Miss Pricks liked her music high, lights bright enough to make one blind and her liquor good and delicious. Kate knew everything about her teacher. No wonder she was her best student.

"So," Kate began, cocking a golden eyebrow at the dancing drunk people infront of her. "_This_ is what you guys do on Sunday nights?" She asked casually, placing her hands on her hips as Roy rewarded her with an enormous grin.

"Not exactly," The ginger laughed, his hand tightly clasped with Kori's as the alien girl was looking around excitedly and was literally bouncing on her toes. "We used to come here every weekend to get relaxed," Roy told her, a smirk coming to his lips as he looked up at Jason. "Back when Jaybird wasn't soft."

Jason scowled, folding his arms over his chest. "I am _not_ soft." He shouted over the ear-piercing music of the bar.

Roy smirked in response, parting his lips for a quick tease when the gorgeous princess beside him gave out a cry. "I cannot resist much!" She exclaimed, adrenaline pumping through her. "Let us party!"

And before the archer beside her got a chance to say anything, she flew into the dancing crowd, dragging him along as well.

Jason gave out a sigh, before turning to the young woman beside him who tossed a friendly smile.

Her heart fluttered upon seeing him cock his head to the right, a smirk plastered on his face. "You wanna party too?" The rogue-bird asked slowly and the way his tone was so suggestive, it made her breath hitch.

And this was the part she wished that Bloodlust stood here. Bloodlust could talk eye to eye with Red Hood. Katherine Flynn, however, couldn't even look up at him. It was funny how a costume switched her personality in seconds.

"Jason!" A loud feminine voice shouted over the thumping music.

The two simultaneously looked in the direction where the voice had came and Kate's brows knitted together as a pretty brunette stumbled her way up to them. The young woman had piercing blue eyes, messy brown locks that brushed against her shoulders and what she wore was a tight pair of yellow jeans along with a white shirt that's strap looked like it was going to snap any second.

"Hey," She slurred, giving rise to the idea that she was drunk as she fell into Jason's arms. "How's it hangi'n, Jay?"

The second Robin glared at her, straightening her up a bit but not letting go. She was going to collapse on the floor if he did. Her icy blue gaze met Kate, only to find the blonde staring at her. "Oh, hey." The brunette smiled lazily, hooking her arm with Jason's. "M' Tia." She introduced herself, smiling cheekily as she swayed from side to side.

"Kate," The blonde answered, her lips pressed into a straight line as she questionably looked over at Jason.

Tia gave a half grin, reaching forward and grabbing onto Kate's hand. "Me, you and him," She slurred, tugging at her hand as she tried dragging the two inside the dancing crowd. "We're gonna have a _threesome_."

Swiftly, Kate ripped her hand out of Tia's grasp. Her eyes wide as marbles, she clutched her hand to her chest, stepping away from them and gawking at Jason like he had grown a second head.

Jason instantly defended. "This is _not_ what it looks like!" He told her worriedly, attempting to release himself from Tia who held a death grip on him.

Heart tightening in her chest, Kate found it very hard to swallow as she took a few steps back. "You-you guys go ahead," She stammered, forcing one of her pretty smiles. "Have fun." She managed to say, turning on her heel and Jason winced on catching the hurtful look she gave him.

"Kate! Wait-" He was cut short as Tia gave out a girlish giggle, using her full force to pull him and herself between the bodies dancing over the screeching music.

Collapsing down on one of the bar stools, Kate allowed a deep sigh to leave her mouth. She knotted her fingers together, placing her hands on the bar before her as she stared blankly at them. "Demons and humans don't mix," She frowned, squeezing her hands together.

Another sigh leaving her, the blonde rested her chin on her knotted fingers, dropping her eyelids. She was thinking of Blake again. How'd he dumped her right there and then.

'_You're never there_.'

She was always there. He just couldn't see it.

"Can I get you something, ma'am?"

Kate kept her eyes shut, trapping the tip of her tongue between her teeth as her heart screamed for a bottle of beer. The last thing she needed was getting drunk here. "No, thanks." She mumbled loudly, not caring if the man could even hear her in the loud music.

It wasn't soon when a new voice piped up. "Why the long face?"

The blonde turned her head, left cheek now resting on her hands as she gazed up to the owner of the voice.

He was a young man, black hair and smoky grey eyes. Looking down at her, he shot a smile that caused dimples to pop up on either sides of his cheeks. "Hey," The raven greeted, a grin tugging his lips as he plopped down on the stool beside her.

The flashing lights of the bar casted their shadows on him, rapidly leaving shades of green, blue, yellow and a demonic red.

"Hey," Kate managed a small smile, propping her elbow on the bar before placing her chin over her palm.

If he was some sort of prince charming and was here to save her from the misery she was suffering, Kate was not amused. She was sure if he even caught a glimpse of her true form, he was going to piss his pants. That was what happened to the criminals she hunted. A look at her horrific face and those bloodthirsty eyes, they were trembling and sweating with fear.

The young man gave her a dazzling smile, one that would make a girl swoon. It was a shame she was immune to them, otherwise she wouldn't have wasted a second screwing Dick Grayson up.

"Chet! Two glasses of the regular here!" The young man called out to the bartender.

Turning to the blonde, he offered a tight smile, his face beaming. "Going through some problems?" He asked out of the blue, cocking his head to the side with a smile.

Kate parted her lips but then pursed them. Talking to a stranger didn't seem like a good idea in her head. She shook it off, smiling back. "No, I'm just tired." She crossed her arms on the cool bar, watching amusingly as the young man smirked at her.

"My name's Eric." He introduced, crossing his arms over the bar as well, leaning a bit forward.

"I'm Kate."

Eric grinned, drumming his fingers on the bar as drinks were placed infront of them. "I'm thinking you're new here," He picked up his glass, "I actually come here every now and then." Lifting the glass to his lips, he took a large gulp.

"It's nice of you to get me a drink but..." Kate smiled politely, glancing at the shimmering glass placed before her. "I'm not exactly in the mood to drink anything."

"Try it. I know you'll like it." Eric suggested, smirking as he sipped his own drink.

It wasn't safe to take drinks from a stranger either but Kate did it anyway. Pressing the glass's rim to her lips, she hesitantly took a sip. Her taste buds danced with happiness as the cool crisp flavour of wine dominated them. She found them screaming with protest as she pulled the glass away from her mouth.

There was no way she was getting drunk here.

That's when she caught sight of the strange ring Eric was wearing. It seemed to be a black spider crawling up on his index finger.

"It's a cool ring, isn't it?" Eric smirked, bringing his hand near to his face.

Kate shrugged, tossing a smirk. "It's nice."

Giving out a laugh, Eric leaned a little towards her, smoky grey eyes shimmering and face flushed with a grin spread across his lips. And Kate got to the conclusion, that he had gotten himself drunk. "Don't tell anyone," He whispered as if telling her a secret. "But I wear a costume at nights and dangle of buildings like a _spider_."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" She mused, giving a toothy grin . A smirk quirked up the corners of her lips, an equally mischievous glint in her eyes. "Don't tell anyone but I'm a _demon_."

Eric threw a wicked grin, grey eyes dancing with humor. "So are you gonna drag me to hell, Miss Demoness?"

A grin spreading wide on her her lips, Kate lifted her chin up to look at the ceiling. "As long as you don't do something stupid, I won't." She turned her head to him, smirking deviously.

She wasn't drunk but she wanted to open up a little to someone. And of course, a drunk stranger was the best option. Or maybe it was because of the pang in her chest that Jason had left her all alone there?

"You're gonna drink that?" Eric asked, bobbing his head in the direction of her glass.

Brows furrowing, she shook her head. Quickly grabbing the glass, Eric drank it down in one breath. Kate bit her lower lip, worriedly watching as Eric gave a groan, throwing his head back.

"I think I shouldn't have done that." He groaned again, clutching his head with his cheeks flushing more.

"Eric," Kate spoke up with concern, "Are you okay?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze.

He gazed up at her, raven locks falling into his eyes as he tossed a lopsided smile. "I think I need to use the bathroom." Eric mumbled loudly, shifting on the stool. Another groan escaping his mouth, he gave her a hopeful look. "Can you help me to get there?" He inquired, massaging his left temple. "I don't think I can walk."

Smiling softly, Kate stood up, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to give him support. "Where're the bathrooms?"

"They're just around the corner," He murmured, getting up on his feet.

Following his directions, Kate waltzed towards the corner with him. She glanced around, not spotting Kori, Roy or Jason anywhere. Her mouth went bitter upon thinking they were probably getting themselves drunk, dancing off to the screaming music while she was trapped in her own problems. Though, she was happy about Eric's presence.

"Here you go, Eric." The blonde smiled warmly, releasing him near the doors that dotted the small hall in a line.

Grey eyes peered into her blue ones, and Kate cocked an eyebrow when catching a sudden spark in them along with the Cheshire grin Eric gave her.

She was taken aback as he grabbed her arm and pushed her into the room. Nearly tumbling because of the unexpected force, two hands clasped onto her shoulders in almost a painful grip, slamming her back into the door.

"Didn't your parents teach you not to trust strangers?" Eric growled, pinning her firmly.

Jaw clenching tightly, Kate glared murderously. "Eric! The fuck are you doing?!" She barked, attempting to push him off. A deep growl left her throat, teeth gritting together as he buried his nose in the crook of her neck.

Shivers ran down her spine as he ran his tongue up from her neck to her ear.

She was going to rip that tongue out.

Eric murmured, "Been a while I haven't banged a blonde."

A hand grabbed the collars of his jacket, pushing him ahead with surprising force before slamming his back into the door. Suddenly, there was a heavy pressure on his neck, almost cutting off his oxygen. He clawed at it, trying to release its strong hold.

A deep voice whispered, "I thought you could be my _friend_,"

It made his stomach churn.

"But your just another _monster_ in Gotham."

Heart beating like a drum, his gaze came across a pair of crimson eyes. "What are you?!" Eric yelled, body now quivering with fear.

Kate narrowed her eyes, bringing a hand up to trace the side of his lips as he desperately tried to free himself. "I'm gonna rip your tongue _out_," She whispered, voice deep, heavy and threatening as she dug her claw like nails into his cheek.

The music in the bar was so high, nobody even heard the screaming cries of help coming from somewhere.

* * *

The wind was blowing hard, the clouds thundering and ready to burst into rain any moment. Lightening striked the dark sky for a second, fadding away to leave the darkness behind. The thumping and howling of music could be heard coming from the building, along with the hooting and cheering of a number of voices.

Sighing, Kate swung her legs as she sat on the building's roof, staring blankly at the sky. Her eyes moved towards the black spider ring wrapped around her middle finger. She leaned back, hands supporting her weight as she gazed up at the cloud filled sky again.

All of a sudden, there was a presence behind her, getting her guard up. The voice however, was familiar. "Does the ear piercing mucic and bright lights not please you?"

Kate cocked her head up, a small smile touching her lips. "Not exactly, Kori."

Tossing a grin, Kori seated herself next to the blonde, swinging her legs on the roof's corner. "I know this might not be appropriate to say," She began, looking up at the sky. "But I have always wanted a female best friend."

Raising an eyebrow, Kate gave a lopesided smile. "You want me to be your best friend?"

The alien nodded, smiling from ear to ear. "I would be greatly honored to be your female best friend." She beamed, face shining with happiness.

Kate smiled at her, eyes shifting towards the sky again. Kori frowned, cocking her head. "Are you unhappy?"

"No, Kori." Kate sighed, frowning as she tipped her head back. "I'm _not_."

The Tamaranean smiled warmly, reaching forward to place a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I believe you are not telling the truth." She said, red eyebrows knitting together when Kate shrugged her hand off.

"I'm not lying." She growled, glaring up at the sky.

Pursing her lips, Kori stared at the frowning blonde before a smile stretched her lips. She curled her golden hand into a fist, pupil less eyes shimmering an emerald green. "Do you wish to see something cool?" She asked, a smirk lifting the corners of her lips as bright green cracks of electricity formed an orb around her fist.

Kate blinked, staring bug-eyed at the cracking green electricity surrounding her . With a small cry, Kori shot it in the sky before quickly throwing another as well. The two star bolts collided, giving off a beautiful flash of green light.

"Wow," Kate breathed, turning her head to her. "That was really cool!" She grinned, having an urge to show the other female the fire she could make with her bare hands.

Kori giggled, "I am delighted to hear that you found enjoyment in it."

Shifting towards the ginger, Kate tucked her legs beneath herself, hands in her lap as her eyes sparkled. "Something tells me we're gonna be great friends, Star." She smirked, cocking her head.

Her muscles froze when Kori threw her arms around her, pulling the blonde into her embrace. "I have always wanted to be someone's best friend," Kori squealed happily, hugging her. "I cannot wait to go to the Mall or perform braiding maneuvers on each others hair! Or any other things fellow female best friends do here on earth!"

Kate winced, feeling the redhead crush her in her arms. Ever so slowly, she wrapped her arms around Kori as well, giving out a breath she didn't know she was holding till now.

Something wet dropped onto her nose, causing sapphire blue eyes to look upwards, meeting dark clouds that began showering rain onto Gotham.

* * *

Rain poured down, dancing on the small bus stop's shelter they were standing underneath. Kate reached out, cool drops of water hitting her open palm. She smiled, pulling her arm back before taking in a deep inhale, enjoying the fresh smell of rain.

"You've screwed Dick, haven't you?"

Amused by the question, she leaned against the pole, gaze fixed on Jason. "You're _drunk_, Jason." She scowled, folding her arms over her chest.

Green eyes glittered with mischief as Jason tossed her a cocky smirk. He lay on one of the plastic chairs, leaning back and eyes hodded due to the number of drinks he had taken in the bar. "Yes or no?" He smirked, ignoring her comment.

Kate sent him a menacing glare, "You're talking shit, you know?"

"Come on, Rapunzel." The drunk man smirked, throwing his arms behind his head. "Yes or no?"

She kept her glare on him, but eventually it softened and instead, a smirk came to her lips. "_Maybe_," Kate smirked, cocking her head back and feeling it touch the wet and cool surface of the metal pole.

"So you have fucked golden boy. "

A frustrating groan left her lips as Kate ran her hands through her hair, hearing thunder roar. "It would be better if you stay quiet." She advised, fixing him with an icy glare.

The rogue-bird spoke up again, smirk firmly plastered on his face. "Did he take you down on the office table? Or the couch?"

Kate pinched the bridge of her nose, "You're drunk," She commented, closing her eyes. "Just please stop talking."

"You're mad at me, aren't you?"

She blinked, looking over at him with surprise. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because of Tia." He replied, propping his elbows on his knees.

Her nails dug into her arms, "No, Jason." She scowled, jaw clenching.

Bringing his gaze over the concrete floor, Jason began, a scowl framing his features. "Everyone's mad at me."

Brows furrowing, the blonde couldn't help but ask. "Why?"

"Because I'm not Dick."

Kaye stared, absorbing his absurd comment. "What do you mean that you're no-"

"That's the _problem_!" Jason hissed, straightening up to glare at her. "Everyone loves the golden boy 'cause he's all _perfect_ and me?" He dropped his chin to his chest, frowning. "I'm just a _failure_."

Biting her bottom lip, Kate began softly. "Jason. The alcohol is making you think this. It isn't tru-" He cut her off, snapping his head to the blonde, hands balled into fists in his lap. "Everyone _hates_ me!" The second Robin spat out, teeth gritting together, his muscles tensed.

His shoulders suddenly slumped, hands cupping his face as he placed his elbows on his knees. "I'm _nothing_ but a failure." He scowled, glaring at the cracked concrete. "I wish I wasn't alive," Jason whispered, exhaling deep through his teeth, "Wish Bruce didn't hate me so much."

Staring at him, Kate sighed heavily. "You're not a failure, Jason." She told him politely, strolling over to where he sat. The blonde crouched down on the chairs beside him, frowning as he kept his glare on the concrete floor.

Thunder rumbled through the atmosphere, lightening flashing brightly around them.

A loud beep rang, causing Kate to quirk an eyebrow as she turned to him. "Aren't you gonna pick your phone up?"

Jason pulled his smartphone out of the pocket of his jeans, glancing at the number and tossing it her way. The young woman quickly caught it, shooting him a glare which he responded by a smirk.

With a sigh, Kate hovered her thumb over it before pressing it to her ear. "Hello, Dick." She greeted, staring at the rapid raindrops hitting the street infront of her.

The acrobat's happy voice filled her ears, "Oh, hey Kate!" But then he paused. "Isn't this Jason's number?"

Kate stole a glance at the second Robin who lay on the chair beside her, head lulled back with his eyes closed. "Jason... Uh... Isn't in the condition to talk actually." She chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck.

Jason whipped his head at her, green eyes half-lidded, a smirk on his face. "Tell Dick I _hate_ him."

Dick sighed in the call, "Lem'me guess?" And Kate could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose. "He's drunk, isn't he?"

"You can say that." The blonde laughed.

The Romani gave another deep sigh before starting, "I just wanted to check if you guys were okay."

Smiling, Kate crossed her legs. "We're fine. Just waiting for the rain to slow down a little." She glanced at Jason again. "And for Jason to get a little sober."

"Did you drive the motorcycle?"

A grin spread on her face on hearing the question. "_Maybe_."

"Where did you learn how to drive a motorcycle?" Dick asked amusingly.

Thunder clapped in the sky as Kate answered nonchalantly. "Mama P taught me." She at once bit her bottom lip, hitting her face with her palm as she realized what she'd just said.

"I still can't believe you call your mother Mama P." The Romani chuckled on the other side.

Kate scowled, grumbling bitterly. "She _isn't _my mother."

Jason leaned towards her, piping up again. "Tell Dick to tell Bruce that I _hate_ him." He slurred, falling back into the chair again.

Rolling her blue orbs, Kate smirked. "Jason wants you to know that he loves you all. _Especially_ Mr. Wayne." She grinned, pursing her lips so she wouldn't laugh as Dick gave a small pause.

"That's really nice of Jason." The elder man spoke softly before quickly giving out a laugh. "He's _really_ drunk, isn't he?"

Laughing with him, Kate grinned toothily, ready to respond when a hand softly caressed her cheek. Her whole body froze as Jason's hand cupped her chin, gently pulling her face towards himself. "God, you're beautiful." He whispered, brushing his warm lips against her cool cheek.

It took all her strength not to melt right there and then, her stomach performing multiple summersaults as she took in a sharp inhale, eyes squeezing shut.

"Hello, Kate? You there?"

Her muscles relaxed, dimpled cheeks flushing a rosy pink as Jason nuzzled his head into the side of her neck. Taking a few seconds to find her voice, Kate stammered. "I-I'll talk to you later." She didn't even wait for him to answer, hanging up.

Closing her eyes, Kate gave out a blissful sigh, skin tingling as Jason softly breathed near her neck. She leaned more into her seat, listening to the roaring thunder.

* * *

"You guys had fun?" Tim looked up from his book, shooting a smile at the blonde.

Kate grinned, fully soaked in water as she stalked towards him. "It was nice." She cracked a smile, clamping her hands around her hair before twisting it.

"You shouldn't do that," Dick advised, lying on the couch with his arms folded behind his head. "Alfred doesn't like water on the floor."

Biting the tip of her tongue, Kate released her locks, giving a weak smile. "Uh... _Sorry_." She apologized, rubbing her arm.

That's when her eyes met a pair of brown one's and her heart tied itself in a tight knot. Blake smiled softly up to his sister, sitting beside Damian who was busy writing something on his notebook. His brows knitted together upon seeing her gaze narrow into a glare, a scowl framing her features as she turned around, tugging a strand of wet hair behind her ear.

Something caught Dick's attention then, "Can I see your ring?" He inquired, eyes fixed on the spider ring wrapped around the blonde's finger.

Giving her shoulders a bounce, Kate slipped it off. "Sure," She tossed it to him, making her way towards the stairs.

The Romani quickly caught it, examining it as Tim peered up from his book to eye the strange jewelry. "This fits your finger, right?" Dick asked, holding the ring between his middle finger and thumb.

Kate turned to him, a brow raised questionably. "Yeah," She tilted her head slightly, "Why're you asking?"

Dick smiled in response as Tim reached forward, taking the ring from his elder sibling. "This is a pretty weird ring." He commented, glaring as Dick snatched it back. Cocking his head up, Dick offered a smirk to the blonde. "You mind if I keep this for a few days?"

Slightly puzzled, Kate shrugged. "Sure," She smiled, shuffling up the stairs.

The corners of her lips twitched upwards as she stepped inside her room. Her hand made its way up to her cheek, fingers tracing the skin as her back leaned against the closed door. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and Kate wished that Jason got drunk more often.

And suddenly, she gave out a squeal, clasping her hands infront of her chest as she bounced on her toes. The blonde ran her hands through her wet hair, biting down on her lower lip as she realized what she was doing.

"Stop acting like a hormonal teenager," Kate scolded herself, propping her hands on her hips.

Suddenly another squeal left her lips, making her clamp her hands onto her grinning mouth. Giggling in her hands, she took in a few deep breaths before skidding over to her cupboard. She quickly began fishing for her costume, knowing well since Blake wasn't going to be in her room from now on, it'll be easier for her to sneak out of the manor.

Humming a soft tune, the young woman pulled out the box in which her costume lay before cocking her head at the dark clouds from outside her window. Kate nearly dropped the box, startled upon hearing someone knock at the door.

She quickly shoved the box back inside the cupboard, slamming it shut as she sprang towards the door. "I'm coming!"

Twisting the door knob, the door pulled open, revealing none other than Bruce. The man had that icy look in his eyes as he stared down at her.

Her smile instantly died, "Hello, Mr. Wayne." Her voice was sour.

"Hello, Katherine." The man said, ignoring her frowning face. "I heard you went on some outing today."

The blonde nodded slowly, heart beating rapidly against her ribcage as she began pondering if he knew that she killed Eric. She remained stoic, the tip of her tongue trapped between her teeth.

With a slight pause, Bruce began. "I know this isn't easy for you, Katherine." His voice was warmer than usual, giving Kate the suspicion that Alfred had set him up for this. "But your staying here is better for you." He said, looking down at her.

A bark of laughter escaped her lips, "Forcing me to stay here isn't better for me, Mr. Wayne." She snapped, glaring at him.

Bruce's features hardened, lips bringing themselves into a straight line. "It's for your own safety." He growled, blue eyes narrowed into a glare. "I'm doing this for your _protection_."

"I _don't_ need your protection!"

"The _things_ you know require our protection."

Hands balling into fists, the blonde turned on her heel, walking over to her bed as she inhaled through her nose. "I can't go out without one of your sons with me!" She scowled at the front wall, crossing her arms over her chest before turning back to glare at him. "And for your information, I know how to fend for myself and my brother!"

Cocking her head up, her glare intensified as she snarled. "Gotham teaches you _that_."

Bruce shot her a frosty glare, his jaw clenched at her attitude. "You're staying here whether you like it or not," He stated furiously, "If there's anything you need, ask Alfred."

He turned around, ready to walk away when his gaze landed on something lying in the corner of her dressing table. Narrowing his eyes, Bruce stalked ahead, carefully lifting the necklace up, not noticing how Kate's breathing had suddenly ceased because of his action.

He eyed it, running his thumb over the shimmering golden drop-shaped gem attached to it. "Where did you get this?" Bruce inquired, the necklace's stone hanging from his hand.

Kate swiftly grabbed the hanging gem, snatching it away from him. "My mother gave it to me," She lied with confidence, tightening her hold on the necklace as she clutched it to her chest.

The two held their gazes for awhile, thunder giving out a roar outside along with raindrops clattering against the window of her room. Lightening flashed for a second, thunder following suit as Kate slipped the necklace into the pocket of her jeans.

"I'm gonna go to sleep," She said dryly, walking near to the door.

Bruce gave a questioning look, making his way to the door as well. "You're not going to have dinner?"

"No, thank you." She gave a weak smile, watching him step out of her room. And right when she was about to close the door, Bruce's hand clutched the door knob, restraining her from shutting the door. "You _need_ to eat, Katherine." He growled, eyes narrowing as she started exerting more force.

"I don't want you getting weak from ignoring food," Bruce scowled as Kate gritted her teeth together on the other side, trying to slam the door in his face. "I've got enough problems to deal with. And you've already added more in them. I don't want you increasing the number again." He said solemnly, holding the door in place.

Her efforts in vain, Kate sighed heavily, leaning her forehead against the rough wood of the door. "I'm coming, Mr. Wayne." She whispered loud enough for him to hear.

As the man stepped back, the blonde gently closed the door before slumping down against it. She swallowed the lump forming in her dried throat, hand fishing out the glamour charm from her pocket.

Tucking her legs beneath herself, Kate frowned miserably, curling her fingers around the glamour charm tightly.

* * *

**A\N**: This would've been updated a lot more sooner if I wasn't so lazy when I started writing it :P On a side note, I just had a DC movie marathon! I've got like a three month vacation from school and I'm gonna start college from September *cue squeal* ^_^

I just watched Batman: Under The Red Hood, Son of Batman (Damian is a cutie ) Batman Vs Robin, Justice League: War (Best JL movie EVAH!), Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox, Wonder Woman, Justice League: Trapped in Time and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. I'm also thinking about watching Batman Beyond since it didn't air here and I have nothing to do in these vacations :D

Also, kudos to you if you figured out who Eric was ;D

Anyway, I'm really happy that people are enjoying this story. Kate's very different from the normal characters I write which makes it fun for me to write a chapter :3 So! Your thoughts, opinions, comments or any other types of lovely letters written in that adorable box down there are more than welcomed ;3

Thanks for reading, dearies~


	18. Meeting the Red Bird

**A\N: **So I finally decided to update. Am I awesome or what?! :D A certain someone's going to make a guest appearance in here. Let's see if you guys can spot him ;) Hope you all like it~

* * *

Her chin resting on the top of her fist, Kate looked outside the window of the car, her fingers drumming on the dash board as she was lost in thought. Blue eyes were peering outside, a number of different faces passing by them. Those faces mostly included families. All of them happy, smiling, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

She never saw people in Gotham like this. But then, she had never been to this part of the city. Here the people were wealthier, educated and weren't afraid of muggers stepping out of alleyways to slit their throats, leaving their bodies in gutters for the maggots to devour.

People were happy and carefree. And she didn't know whether she was getting jealous of them or was pitying herself for such a horrible life. Why was the world so unfair to her. Why couldn't she have a happy family like them. Why couldn't she just free herself from all the worries. _Why?_

It made her heartache.

"Bruce sent a present for you." Tim spoke up from the driver's seat, applying the brakes as the red light flickered on.

Kate turned to him, looking uninterested. The dark haired boy reached back, taking a white rectangular box and handing it to her. Blue eyes swept over it before coming to him, and he offered a tight smile, accelerating the expensive black as the traffic light flashed green.

With a forced smile, the blonde slowly opened the box, cocking a golden eyebrow as she lifted out a smartphone from it. She stared at it, faintly remembering telling Bruce how she'd accidentally broke her phone. It wasn't an accident actually. Talia Al Ghul just wouldn't stop calling her and Kate had had enough of that crazy woman so she had simply split her phone into two, throwing it into the garbage.

And now here she sat, being driven to Wayne towers with an expensive smartphone gifted to her by her boss.

_Wasn't life just wonderful?_

"That's really nice of Mr. Wayne." Kate gave a small smile, Tim sending her a questioning look as she placed the phone back in the box. "But I can't keep such an expensive gift." She said, but then looked perplexed as Tim held out a check to her.

"What's this?" She inquired, taking the check from him.

Bringing his both hands back to the steering wheel, Tim answered. "Your paycheck."

The corners of her lips pulling upwards into a smile, Kate read the greenish check thoroughly, brushing her thumb over Bruce's sign.

"And I suggest you keep the phone." Tim laughed, turning the car left. "Bruce doesn't like it when people give back his gifts."

Kate grinned at him, leaning back into her seat as she stuffed the paycheck in her pocket. "So how's the superhero life going?" She asked, sliding her thumb over the phone's screen.

The teenager bounced her shoulders, "Good. There are new cases I'm working on these days." He answered honestly, Kate seemingly busy in studying her new phone. "Really?" She mused, "What kind of cases?"

"Well, there's one about Bloodlust."

The blonde remain unfazed, "And the other?"

"The other one's related to Black Mask."

"What about him?"

"We've got the info that he's been seen having some deals with the Penguin. Though we're not exactly sure. I'm still working on that."

Kate dug her fingers in the fabric of her seat, placing the phone in her lap so that she wouldn't break it. "Why don't you just kill them?" She questioned calmly, feeling her chest tighten up a bit.

Tim gave her an incredulous look, "What?" He thought he had misheard her.

Straightening up, she turned to look him, sky blue eyes meeting darkest ocean ones. "_Kill_ them." She stated simply, "They kill so many people so why don't you just shove a bullet down their throats and call it a job well done?"

There was a beat of silence, the only sound audible being the air conditioner of the car as her sentence hung in the atmosphere. Tim finally said something.

"You sound like Jason!" He blurted out, and Kate looked amused. "Is that a bad thing?" She asked him, biting her bottom lip to hide a smile when he cleared his throat, avoiding the question.

"A life's a _life_, Kate. No one has any right to take it from someone." He told her, parking the car infront of the enormous building.

For a moment, the blonde wanted to argue but she stopped herself, pushing the car's door open. "Sometimes by getting rid of the filth, we can make it a better world." She offered him a crooked grin, slipping out of the car and slamming its door shut.

Tim's expressions went tensed and focused, his eyes fixing the steering wheel with a cold stare.

* * *

Bruce wasn't going to be pleased about this. She was to come straight home from office but Kate had decided to spare a trip to the Mall on her way back. The dark knight of Gotham was probably going to scowl and ban her from stepping out of the house for the rest of her miserable life. But, damn Batman and his stupid secret identity. She could go anywhere she liked. She wasn't his property. The idiot could screw himself for all she cared.

"Thank you so very much for inviting me to accompany you, Friend Kate." Kory smiled happily, her fiery red locks tied into two pigtails as she walked with the blonde.

Kate smiled back, still in her office clothes as she glanced at the shopping bags in their hands. "Hey, I gotta have my best friend beside me, right?" She replied, the redhead beaming at her.

"I cannot believe I have a best female friend." The golden skinned girl smiled brightly before giving the blonde a grin. "We must have the girl gossip talk!" Kory stated cheerfully and Kate quirked an eyebrow, nodding her head slowly for the alien to continue.

In an interval of fifteen minutes, Kate had gotten to know things she weren't sure had even happened. Like how Kory had nursed Jason back to normal when he was suffering from the effects of the Lazarus pit, her, Jason and Roy used to be the Outlaws and that she had a long history with Nightwing.

She found the first part of information very interesting. So she was right. Jason did die and was brought back to the land of living by the Lazarus pit. Chills ran down her spine as she pondered on the thought, feeling her stomach twist and her heart squeeze. Being brought back from the dead. It must've been so _painful_.

Kory was unaware of the thoughts storming in the other female's head. "Do you not think Richard is a good lay?" She asked, sounding so innocent and Kate blinked, feeling as if she'd misheard her.

"What?" And the blonde didn't mean to sound so dumb.

Kory giggled, leaning forward a little and whispering such words in Kate's ear that made sudden images of the acrobat flash in her mind, causing her face to flush and turn an impressive shade of red. The blonde bit her bottom lip, chewing on it and feeling her cheeks burn as she gave the redhead a pressing look.

"Stop it, Star." Kate shook her head, trying to get the thoughts out of her mind. "You're experiences are starting to turn me on."

Grinning at her, Kory parted her lips to continue when something caught her eye and she squealed. Kate was startled as the ginger shoved the shopping bags into her arms, her green eyes bright and sparkling.

"Kory! What're yo—"

"Stay right here! I shall fetch us some cream of ice!"

Kate stared at her, "You mean ice-cream?" She inquired, scowling as Kory nodded vigorously, nearly flying towards the ice cream parlor.

As Kate tried to follow her, she tripped, a curse leaving her mouth as she landed on the tiled floor face first, the shopping bags scattering all around her. Pushing herself onto her knees, the blonde glared at them for a second, and then gave out a defeated sigh, reaching ahead to pile them up.

Someone kneeled infront of her then, and she cocked her chin up a little, blue eyes moving upwards, only to meet mossy green ones. He was a young man of about twenty-six, his hair scarlet red and a number of freckles dusting his pale cheeks. Tossing her a goofy smile, he gathered up the bags with her.

Standing up, Kate gave him a smile. "Thanks," She said as he handed her the rest of the shopping bags.

"You're welcome." He answered before pursing his lips. "Do you do archery?"

Kate wasn't expecting the strange question. "Uh... No. I don't." She responded, watching as he bit his lip, nodding slowly. "Sorry, I just kinda remember archers when I see a girl with long blonde hair." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Really?" Kate smiled, "Why?"

The ginger shrugged, "Dunno." He glanced at his watch and then gave her a small wave. "I gotta go. Nice meeting you! Bye!" And with that he was off, jogging towards the Mall exit, leaving her standing there and staring blankly at his back.

"I have got us the cream of ice!" Kory announced proudly, two cones in her hands as she stalked over to the blonde, her blue eyes settled on the Mall's exit door.

* * *

Tim didn't like having Damian doing the nightshift on the batcomputer when he was on missions. He could deal with Jason's taunts and snarls, Dick's horrible puns and jokes, but not with Damian's snarky comments and pieces of arrogant advice.

Yes, Tim _hated_ the demon spawn.

"Do not mess up, Drake." Robin advised harshly from the com-link, Red Robin scowling as he crawled through the air vent. "Keep it quiet, brat." He growled silently, masked eyes narrowing as his ears picked up voices coming from below.

Gloved hand fishing in his golden utility belt, he slipped out a communicator and then placed it on the vent's metal wall. "You hearing this?" Red Robin asked his sibling, recognizing a voice as the Penguin's.

"The communicator is in the correct place," Robin informed from the other side, "According to the frequencies, there is Black Mask and Penguin down there."

Red Robin scowled deeply, "So the rumors were tru—" He paused, white lenses widening as he heard a small creak. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, an alarm ringing in his head as he quickly positioned himself to move when a bang echoed in the air, the vent's floor beneath him giving away.

With a curse, he landed on his feet gracefully, hands flying towards his belt when two strong hands caught his wrists, twisting his arms behind his back. There was a large hand on his head then, shoving his face into a wooden table. His teeth gritting together, Red Robin tried to look up, his gaze coming across Black Mask's deadly pale eyes.

"Well, whaddaya know? We've got a little visitor." He grinned, his men pinning Tim harder against the table.

The ex-boy wonder growled furiously, muscles tensing as Penguin reached forward, taking the com from his ear. A smirk slowly curled the corner of his lips as he tightened his grip on the small device, fixing his top hat with the other hand. "You boys go ahead and treat Red Robin." The small man instructed his men, smirking at the teen.

"Sure thing, boss." One of the men answered and the next thing Tim knew was that he was being dragged towards the door, a hand fisting his hair painfully.

This wasn't going to end well.

* * *

"My name's Scarlet. Mr. Mask called me to pay him a visit." Kate said in the most sultry voice she could manage, smiling sweetly as the blonde nodded, guiding her into the elevator.

In all honesty, it wasn't hard in getting in Black Mask's resident building. All she needed was her glamour charm, her costume and belt stashed in a black bag, a little make-up and a red low cut dress that barely reached her thighs.

She wasn't quite convinced with the color of her dress, though. Sure it was hot and left little to the imagination but the blood red color clashed with her hair. But by the way all eyes turned to her, and jaws hung loosely, she thought it was worth it.

"Where is Mr. Mask anyway?" The redhead asked casually, stepping into a very expensive looking bedroom.

The blonde man—_his name was Tom, right?—_ poured her a glass of champagne, "He's got a meeting with the Penguin." He answered, smiling as he handed her the glass. Her grey eyes swept over the casting of his broken nose and she brought the glass up to her lips, taking a small sip.

"So," Tom began, eyeing her from head to toe. "I didn't know the boss was into redheads."

Her fingers tightened around the glass, teeth gritting together when Kate suddenly grinned, placing the glass onto a nearby table. "Close the door." She ordered, her voice sickly sweet as she started fishing for something in her bag.

Tom stared at her, "What?" He inquired dumbly and she sighed, then batted her eyelashes at him, a smirk quirking the corners of her lips as his hazel eyes twinkled and he turned around, quickly pushing the door shut.

A slight click was heard, confirming that he had locked it. And all of a sudden, a hand shot forward from behind him, clamping onto his mouth before something sharp pressed into his back. The dagger's tip digging into his spine, Kate leaned forward, breathing near his ear. "Stay quiet." She commanded, her whisper making his throat go dry and eyes roll back into his head as the dagger twisted inside him.

Once his body went limp, Kate stepped back, Tom falling to the marble floor with a thud. As blood soon began pooling around, she dropped the knife onto the mattress, pulling out a silver gun from her bag.

She flipped the gun in the air, a smirk curling her lips as it landed back in her palm. "Let's get this over with." The redhead grumbled, reaching forward to pull out her costume.

* * *

Tim's vision was swimming and he gave a low moan as the metal baseball collided with his shoulder. A sickening crack was heard, confirming the fact that he now supported a dislocated shoulder. The man who held the bat was called Jerry, a wide grin spread over his scarred face as his companion kneed the teenager in the back, laughing as the boy gave a pained groan.

His jaw clenching, Tim glowered at Jerry, scowling deeply on seeing his golden belt hanging around his hips. The vigilante was sure back-up was on its way. His teammates were going to break in any moment and then—

Screams and shouts echoed through the air, and relief filled the third Robin's lungs but then he tensed, pondering and coming to the result that this wasn't Batman or any of his teammates. Terror and chaos never ensued when they entered a crime scene.

A hard blow was delivered to his temple, Jerry narrowing his eyes as he knocked Red Robin out cold. He swiftly exited the small cellar, locking the door behind him before bolting up the stairs, his companions following suit.

* * *

_The security these days was awful. _Black Mask couldn't agree less. A flicker of hope lit up inside him when three of his men charged through the door, but then he went hopeless again as three bangs screeched through the blood scented air, fairly large holes on his men's foreheads.

_Yes, security was absolutely awful._

Bloodlust blew at the nozzle of her gun, tucking it back in its holster as she shifted her weight to the other foot, steely gaze sweeping over the corpses lying on the office floor before landing on Penguin, the small fat man tied to the chair.

"What the hell do you want?!" Black Mask demanded, his legs sprawled apart with his back leaning against the wooden table. His palms were pressed against his thighs in an attempt to cease the leakage of blood through the bullet holes, but it wasn't helping much.

The female vigilante flicked out a dagger, its blade sharp and glistening. "I want your _heads_." She answered easily, the man gawking at her.

"What?"

"_I. Want,_" She pressured every word, advancing towards Penguin. "_Your. Heads_."

Penguin glared, struggling to free himself. "You're crazy, woman!" He yelled, swallowing as the redhead placed the dagger's blade against his throat.

The contents in his stomach churning, Black Mask watched with wide eyes as Bloodlust dug the blade into the shorter man's neck, slowly moving the dagger back and forth, seeming unfazed as it cut through the skin like butter. The dark faced man felt his dinner coming up to his mouth, chills running down his spine as Penguin screamed bloody murder, his throat being sliced open.

Pale blue eyes looked around, Black Mask pondering on a plan to escape when Bloodlust spoke up, Penguin screaming in the background. "The building's gonna explode in fifteen minutes," She said nonchalantly, something cold pressing into the Black Mask's skull as she straightened, smiling proudly as she clenched a fist full of raven hair, lifting up Penguin's head.

Crimson drops of blood fell from his neck.

Beads of sweat appearing on his dark forehead, Black Mask swallowed as the young woman dropped his head in her bag and then turned to him, running her gloved fingers over the blood laced knife. "I've got enough time to slit your throat and make it out alive. So let's make this snappy, _Kay_?"

A grin tugged her lips as she took a step forward, and then frowned when he maneuvered himself on his palms, pathetically crawling behind the wooden table.

"You know," Bloodlust began, unamused as she stalked towards the table. "You're just wasting my tim—" She paused, blinking questionably on catching the sight of a familiar golden belt looped around of the thug's hips.

Slowly, horror started creeping over her face. "That's Red Robin's belt." She breathed, recognizing the belt as Tim's.

Two hands grabbing his collars, Bloodlust lifted Black Mask up, face scrunched up into a snarl. "Is Red Robin in the building?" She questioned, giving him a violent shake.

"Yeah! We threw the kid in the cellar and—"

A lump got stuck in her throat on the new discovery, "Where's the cellar?!" She demanded furiously.

"It's in the basement!"

The words seemed to hit her like a brick. Bloodlust growled, throwing him back onto the floor before snapping her head at the wall clock, heart leaping to her throat on seeing there were nine minutes remaining. This was a six floor building. There wasn't any time.

Black Mask watched her face go pale, "Oh, God." The young woman clamped her hands to her mouth, heart hammering against her ribcage as she bolted towards the door.

"Hey!" He yelled after her. "Take me with you!"

His shouts were deaf to her ears as Kate sprinted into the elevator, nearly stumbling into its front wall in the process. She swiftly whirled around, smashing her thumb to the colored electric button that was to take her to the last floor.

Running her fingers through her red locks, Bloodlust tipped her head back, can't believing the fact that she was taking an elevator to save Tim. _Why the hell was she saving Tim?!_ He was the Red Robin. He didn't need to be saved. But, God if he died because of her she could never live with herself.

A small ring hit her ears, her eyes snapping open as the elevator's doors parted and she dashed down to the basement. "Robin!" She called out, breath getting somewhere stuck in her lungs as she rounded a corner, glancing in all the doors she passed by.

"Robin!"

Coming to a halt, she looked through the small window again, heart beat echoing in her ears as she spotted a young teenage boy lying unconscious on the dirty floor. Bloodlust scowled on finding the door locked so she backed away from it, then charged forward, slamming her shoulder into it.

The door being thrown open, she skidded over to him. "Tim?" She said softly, eyebrows knitting together as he lay there, dried blood beneath his nose and his costume torn from various places.

Her chest tightened as she crouched down beside him.

* * *

Wheels giving out a screech, the batmobile came to a sudden halt, leaving behind black trails of its tires as the glass roof of the expensive car hissed open, Batman leaping out of it and dashing towards the building, Robin hot on his heels.

But before the dark knight could even make it inside, the building burst into an enormous explosion, the glass door being thrown his way.

Batman ducked beneath it, hearing it shatter into a million shards behind him. He stood up straight, scowling deeply as a furious fire spread throughout the building.

His hands balled into fists, knuckles going white beneath the black gloves as his shoulders sank. "Tim," He whispered, the sickening sound of flames crackling through the silent air.

* * *

**A\N: **Is it just me, or is this a little déjà vu? *cough* Jason's death *cough* ;P Oh, and do you guys remember that blonde guy in Batman: Under The Red Hood who got his nose punched by Black Mask? Yeah... That was Tom in here XD

Anyway, your feedback is more than appreciated!

P.S Did you guys found out who was the mystery guest? ;D


	19. Drag Her Down

**A\N:** Awww... I feel so happy reading those paw-some reviews. Thank you so much. Most of you got the mystery guest in the character correct so yeah. Virtual cookies to all of you :D

* * *

One hand clamped onto his shoulder, she reached towards his thigh, gloved fingers running over the tattered costume. She pursed her lips, then cocked her head up on hearing him give a groan.

His senses returning, the first thing Red Robin noticed was the blood scented atmosphere around him. Then the corpses of two men lying on the floor. And finally he saw the redhead kneeling infront of him, her hand having a very uncomfortable spot on his thigh. She gave him an amused look as his cheeks heated up, a look of pure horror coming to his face.

The corners of her lips quirking upwards into a smirk, Bloodlust rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, kid. You're a bit too young for me." She assured him, fingers tracing something small beneath his costume and her eyes sparkled.

Pulling out a dagger, she easily tore the small object off the fabric. A victorious smirk came to her lips and Tim found his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates as she got up, breaking the tracer into two. She grinned, not noticing him scowl deeply. The former Robin examined the old house they were in, making mental notes in his head when the tape over his lips was ripped away along with a thin layer or skin.

A hiss left his mouth but he was startled as the rim of a glass bottle was pressed against his lips, a bubbling green liquid pooling in his mouth. "Drink it." Bloodlust ordered, Red Robin jerking his head back and then spitting the liquid in her face.

With a gasp, she backed away from him, her eyes squeezed shut as she wiped her face with the sleeve of her jacket. Her jaw clenching, she snapped her head at him and Tim scowled at her, slightly surprised when those grey orbs flashed a ruby red.

Fist burying into his cheek, Red Robin was thrown backwards onto the floor along with the chair he was tied to. A hand suddenly had a tight hold on his nose, limiting his breathing until he gasped out, the glass bottle again placed against his lips. Bloodlust growled, smirking as he gulped down a good amount of the healing water Talia had given her.

Red Robin coughed, his oesophagus burning as the liquid flooded down through it, creating a painful fire in the pit of his stomach. Bringing the bottle's rim to her lips, Bloodlust drank it in one breath. Her eyes swept over his heaving chest before she threw the empty bottle across the room, Tim's ear picking up the sound of glass shattering as it hit the wall.

His muscles tensed as he felt her walk over to him, and then one of her heavy boots had slammed into his temple, making black dots blur his vision. Peering down at him, Bloodlust placed her hands onto her knee caps, leaning down and snapping her fingers infront of his face. Confirming that he was now fully unconscious, she kneeled down, slipping out a bloodied dagger from her belt before slicing the ropes off him.

"Here you go, Tim." The redhead mumbled to herself, tossing his utility belt near him as she got up on her feet.

Making her way to the door, she spared him a glance, mentally praying she knew what she was doing.

* * *

In Wayne manor, everything was too quiet today. There was no arguing, groans, curses or death threats being thrown back and forth. The only sound being heard was the fast footsteps of Alfred, the butler awfully worried as he tried to focus on cooking dinner but he ended up in sprinkling pepper in the dessert and cherries in the tomato sauce. His thoughts were continuously drifting back to Damian, him calling and informing about the explosion of Black Mask's building and the sudden disappearance of Tim.

Even Nightwing and Red Hood were out, searching for their younger adoptive brother. None of them spoke about it but deep down, they were afraid they were going to find Red Robin's corpse.

Despite all this, Kate stood in the manor's training room, helping herself to the things she often saw the boys sparring with. The blonde smirked, tearing her gaze away from the small camera in the corner of the roof as she pulled her hair into a tight ponytail.

With one deep breath, her jaw clenched, a menacing glare coming to her eyes as she kicked out then back flipped three times before biting her bottom lip, trying to steady herself. After a couple of punches and kicks to her invisible opponent, the blonde decided in moving out into the new combat techniques she had seen them use.

She had to admit; it was fun using the boxing bag, the loops, the bo-staffs but what was most hard to work with was the swords. They weren't real swords. Actually, they were makeshift swords she often saw Damian practicing with. For a ten-year old, he was astoundingly amazing at it. He even kept their blades sharp. Something which nearly got her hand sliced.

Plopping down on the bench, Kate blew air from the side of her mouth, beads of sweat rolling down her chin as she fished in her bag, searching for something. "I need to smoke." She grumbled, pulling out a cigarette.

Once lit, she curled her lips around its end, taking a long inhale of the smoke and feeling it fill up her chest. The blonde released a puff of smoke from her mouth, watching it disappear in the air.

"Hey, Kate!"

Instantly, Kate yanked it out of her mouth then quickly pushed it inside the bag while trying to stifle her coughs. Her eyes went wet and she ended up having a cough attack as she answered, "What is it, Blake?" She rasped, thumping her chest with a fist.

Sending her a questioning look, Blake walked over to her front. "Are you okay?" His light hazel eyes met her brilliant blue ones, giving rise to a strange tightness in her chest and suddenly she wanted to kill Damian for taking her brother away from her.

"I'm fine." She replied harshly, the younger frowning because of her tone.

A mop of red hair was suddenly infront of Kate and she raised an eyebrow on seeing a young boy, his pale blue eyes questioning as he sniffed the air, a slow smirk making its way to his lips. "Were you _smoking_?" He asked coyly.

Kate stared at him. "Who are you?" She ignored his question.

Blake smiled, stepping beside the redhead. "Kate, this is Colin. He's Damian's friend."

The demon child had _friends_? Kate couldn't help but be amused. Colin offered her a tight smile, clasping his hands behind his back then rocking on the balls of his feet. Something about it him was so off. Then again, what _wasn't_ off with Bruce Wayne and his acquaintances?

"Do you know where Damian is?" Colin inquired, smirking as Kate shook her head. "No, I don't." She responded, jaw clenching slightly as he fixed her with a suspicious look, a cocky smirk on his lips as he turned around, walking ahead.

"Come on, Blake. Let's go and do something fun until Damian gets back."

For a moment, an alarm rang in the blonde's mind and she realized that he knew about the brat being Robin. Her fingers dug into the bench as she scowled deeply, pondering weather to keep a check on the new imbecile or not.

* * *

Dick couldn't go with the Team today since Tim was missing. He was very worried for his brother. He had tried locating him through the build in tracker in their suits but there was no signal and as the time slowly passed, he felt his stomach dropping and his mind getting filled up with a number of scenarios. Scenarios that mostly involved the third Robin's corpse lying in a gutter or maybe burnt into ashes along with the building.

He didn't have negative thoughts. He always had positive ones but God, he hoped Tim was going to be alright. He wasn't going to end up like Jason; beaten and _dead_ in a blown up warehouse.

Alfred's call seemed to breathe life into him, relaxing his tensed muscles and squared shoulders as the old butler informed about how Tim had sneaked into the kitchen through the window, careful because he didn't want Kate or Blake to see him with his costume tattered and burnt from various placed and dried blood smeared over his split lip.

So now Dick sat in the batcave, along side Tim whom he had nearly crushed in a tight hug. He kept asking if he was alright, the teenager answering with smiles and nods as Bruce released a silent yet heavy sigh; an action meaning that he was relaxed, something which they all were now.

"Stop bugging the replacement." Jason snapped, lighting a cigarette that was sticking out from between his teeth as he leaned against the cave's wall.

The Romani ignored him rubbing his hand over Tim's forehead. The younger boy smiled, gently taking his hand off. "I'm fine, Dick." He assured, Damian scowling at him from behind, his icy gaze then traveling to his father, the man's icy stare fixed on the enormous screen infront of him.

"You said that she gave you a strange green liquid, correct?" He spoke up, Tim blinking before nodding. "Yeah, it was really strong and stung as I took it down." The former Robin admitted, ready to get off the metal table when Dick placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head in disagreement.

With a small sigh, Tim sat back and Dick turned his attention to his ex-mentor. "She saved Tim. Maybe she just wants to hel-"

Damian cut him short, "She's a psychotic murderer, Grayson!" He snarled furiously, narrowing his eyes as Jason scowled deeply. He lifted his head up, grunting one of his infamous 'tt's. "She should be thrown in Arkham along with all those numb skulled people who consider killing as justice."

Knuckles whitening, Jason snapped his head at him, his jaw clenched and a number of vulgar insults in his mind but he was interrupted by Bruce who sent him a glare as if to warn him and Jason growled, swallowing the anger as he bit into the back of the cigarette in his mouth. Bruce brought his attention to Tim, lips pressed into a straight line.

"I checked your bloodstream and I've traced the healing substances of the Lazarus pit." He informed and Jason found his breath hitching in his throat as everyone except Bruce began silently staring at him.

Bruce continued grimly, "It isn't strong enough to make you lose your mind. It's just to repair the wounded cells and tissues inside you."

Dick patted Tim's back as he took in a silent breath, Damian piping up, his tone incredulous. "So you believe that she has contacts with mother?" He inquired, Bruce pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed, then settling them all with a stern glare.

"If any of you again encounter Bloodlust, make sure to get any type of hair, blood, nail. Basically anything that will provide us with a DNA sample, clear?"

Jason scowled deeply, his brother responding with nods. "Sure, why not?" He mumbled to himself, breathing out a cloud of dark smoke.

* * *

**A\N: **Since my main story has been finished, I'll be trying my best to complete this story in the upcoming months. As always, feedback is more than appreciated ~ c:


	20. Hunt Me Through The Mirrors

**A\N:** There's a major reference to Batman: Under the Red Hood in this chapter. Can you guys spot it? ;) Virtual cupcakes if you catch the Regular Show reference too!

* * *

The sun was bright as ever. Its rays entering the dining room, the air holding the mouth watering fragrance of pancakes and boiling morning coffee as Alfred shuffled around the room, his wise grey eyes landing on a blonde and he instantly grimaced.

"Elbows off the table, Miss Katherine."

Blue eyes blinked before coming to the old butler, Kate smiling apologetically as she slid her elbows off the expensive table, her jaw clenching as Damian released an arrogant huff. Her shoulders dropped and she sunk into her seat a little, tipping her head back while squeezing her eyes shut.

The people around her noticed it but none of them asked, resuming their conversation like she wasn't even there.

"Wonder Girl rocks. She's like the most awesome superheroine in the world." Blake commented, smiling as he took a spoon of his cereal. Dick smiled back at him, peering over the newspaper Bruce was busy reading.

His gaze came across a certain line and he grinned, looking over his adoptive siblings. "There's a carnival in town. Why don't we all check it out?" He offered, beaming at them, frowning slightly as they rewarded him with an uninterested look.

All eyes turned to Kate, the blonde releasing a very long and heavy sigh. Bruce scowled, reaching for his cup of coffee as Jason smirked, emerald eyes sparkling with mischief. "_Still_ on your time of the month, Rapunzel?"

Shooting him a murderous glare, the young female's cheeks flared and he grinned before wincing as a spoon whacked the back of his head. "Control your mouth, Master Jason." Alfred warned, smiling warmly as Kate tossed him a thankful smile.

Blake lifted an eyebrow, perplexed. "I don't get it. What do you mean time of the m-"

"We should really go and check out that carnival." Kate cut him off, sighing silently as her sibling grinned, his eyes suddenly bright and happy as he looked up at her.

And for a moment, something warm blossomed in her chest on seeing him so excited. A smile tugged her lips, her hand twitching to reach forward and ruffle his brown locks but she stopped herself, remembering his words that had left holes in her heart.

* * *

People were chatting of amiably, children laughing and running around the colorful carts and stands. Young, pretty girls stood everywhere and Kate had no idea why she was grinding her teeth together as Jason smiled at them causing their cheeks to flush as they giggled, telling each other things in whispers.

Blake seemed to be happy, walking along with Damian who was scowling at every person that walked passed them. In all honesty, Kate wasn't sure why they all were here with her. Of course, Batman didn't want her to go anywhere without any of his sons breathing down her neck but all of them? It was just making her furious and giving rise to an urge to plunge a knife through someone's forehead.

"You don't look like you're feeling the aster."

Blue eyes blinked, tearing themselves away from Jason and meeting a pair of black shades.

She wasn't still sure why all of them were wearing sunglasses. _Weirdos_.

"What?" Kate asked, confused.

Dick smirked, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "You know, _aster_?" He bounced his shoulders, "It's the opposite of disaster. Instead of things going wrong, they go _right_." The Romani explained.

The blonde gave him a tight smile, understanding the concept. "Wow. That's really smart." She laughed, "I think I'm gonna use it from now on."

Grinning, the first Robin continued. "It's like the opposite of distraught is _traught_."

"And like insane is _outsane_?" Kate offered, smiling broadly as Dick grinned, "Yeah, just like that."

Parting her lips for more words with messed up prefixes, the blonde was cut off by Damian, the ten-year old grunting as he adjusted his sunglasses on his nose, taking a few steps away from them. "Come, Blake." He placed his hands on his hips, gaze sweeping over his surroundings. "Let us go and find that soft and colorful sweet."

"You mean, _cotton candy_, right?" Blake arched an eyebrow, smiling as Damian answered with a firm nod.

But before he could make his way to the other boy, a hand clasped onto his wrist. Kate frowned, glancing from him to Damian. "We should stay together." She completely ignored how Damian rewarded her with a heated glare.

"Aw, come on, Kate!" Her sibling groaned, pulling at his arm. "I'm not a kid. I can take car-" He paused suddenly, chocolate brown eyes wandering over her face before he made a face. "Ew, Kate! You have a pimple."

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Pimples are normal, Blake. There's nothing gross about them."

"Yeah, but yours is _moving_!"

She didn't quite get his words but then she noticed a small red dot running over his face and coming to a halt on the centre of his forehead. Her stomach twisted, chills running down her spine as a hand clasped around her elbow, pulling her and Blake back as there was a faint sound of a bullet being shot.

Nearly stumbling into Tim, the blonde felt her heart leaping up to her throat as the bullet embedded itself into an old man's leg. The old fella was standing behind them and was now screaming with agony as he collapsed to the ground, the blood trickling down his legs causing a sudden disturbance that made people scream, running away to save themselves.

They all stood there, people screaming, thrashing as a small group stepped infront of them. Cold seeped through Kate's veins on finding them all wearing costumes, faces covered and weapons looking awfully dangerous.

A woman, scarlet pony tail and stony blue eyes, came infront of them. She drew out her swords, pointing them towards her and then slowly over to her brother. "Give us the girl and the boy." She commanded, one of the two men cracking his knuckles behind her while the other twirled his bo-staff.

Two small arms were clinging to Kate's leg and she could practically feel Blake quivering with fear as he stared at those sharp swords. Biting down her tongue, she tried soothing him down by placing a hand on his head but it didn't help much, the small boy squeezing his eyes shut as she scowled deeply, eyes flashing red for a brief second.

A hand gently brushed against her arm, blue eyes meeting Tim's who silently mouthed the word '_run_'. Her gaze swept over them all, finding their muscles tensed and body already positioned into a fighting stance.

Damian parted his lips to demand to know who they were but Jason beat him to it, a smirk lifting the corners of his lips. "Didn't the Red Hood took care of you losers?" He inquired sarcastically, the red haired woman releasing a furious growl before she smirked, the man behind her lifting up a rifle and aiming it towards them.

He didn't quite get a chance to shoot as Damian's foot had found itself buried into his stomach.

A small yelp left Blake's lips as Kate caught his arm and dashed away from them all, leaving the red haired woman gritting her teeth together furiously. "Get her, you idiot!" She barked loudly, the man with the bo-staff bolting forward as well.

Features gracing a scowl, she tried moving ahead too but Jason had swiped her feet off the ground.

* * *

Sprinting a corner, Kate instantly scooped her sibling into her arms. She winced on hearing him shriek near her ear. "He's gaining on us, Kate!"

Lips pressing together, she quickly turned right, Blake's arms wrapping around her neck tightly as a knife embedded itself near the wall they had just passed. The blonde completely ignored the 'out of order' sign as she dashed inside an enormous tent. Placing her sibling down, her gaze swept over the number of mirrors everywhere. By some wooden tables and broken mirrors, it seemed to her as an unfinished mirror house.

"Okay, Blake." She placed her hands on his shoulders, "Just go and hide. Don't make a sound, alright?"

"But-"

She glared, "Just do as I say!"

He held her gaze for a moment, then quickly ran into one of the paths the mirrors made. Running a hand through her golden locks, she bit her lip, stalking into a different path. A half of a minute passed and a voice bounced of the mirrors, making her dig her nails into her palms.

"Listen!" The man yelled loudly and she paused, trying to sense from where he was coming. "Talia wants you back. She isn't happy that you're ignoring her calls so it would be better if you just come with us the easy way..."

And then, she realized that he was on the opposite side of the mirrors and if she kept on moving, they were gonna end up facing each other. She scowled, fastening her pace, blue orbs fading into a bloody red.

The man continued, "Or we can do it the hard way by killing you and your brother."

Blood boiling with fury, Kate halted near the spot their paths were going to coincide. Her gaze somehow crossed the mirror at her right and she recoiled slightly with a gasp on seeing crimson red eyes staring at her. She blinked, shocked on seeing a creature with burning eyes, sharp canines sticking out from its mouth, pointed ears and horns; dark black horns from between blonde locks and smoky gray skin.

She stared at the ugly monster, knowing fully well that it was her. But oddly, she didn't remember having horns or gray skin.

"Am I evolving?" She marveled, frowning at the mirror.

Footsteps hit her ears and she swiftly turned the corner, releasing a blood chilling roar as she latched onto him. Legs wrapping around his waist, the demoness sank her sharp canines into his shoulder while her fingers dug into his back.

The bo-staff clattering to the floor, he screamed, pushing at her. Kate growled, biting even harder when he started yanking at her hair. His blood was all over her; tainting most of her white shirt and smeared over half of her face.

Crimson liquid was dripping down her chin as she finally got on her feet, not giving him any time to recover when he was thrown into the mirrors. The glass shattered into a million pieces on having him crash into it. He ended up on his back, groaning, cuts all over his body.

A gasp left his lips, breathing fast as Kate pinned him down harder, a glass shard in her hand held so tightly that it was starting to cut deep I into her palm.

She raised it up in the air, "Tell Talia to go and screw herself!"

But before she could plunge it deep into his throat, a voice stopped her, yelling out her name.

"Kate!"

Red eyes blinking, the blonde felt her heart squeeze tight in her chest as Blake stared at her, looking absolutely mortified.

Her skin faded back to its normal color, pupils returning back to their regular blue hue. "Blake?" Kate managed to utter, gasping as a foot slammed into her stomach.

The blonde was thrown back, the man snarling furiously as he leapt to his feet. "You're a freak!" He yelled, fishing something out from his pocket.

Kate sat upright, pushing back a curtain of golden hair and glared as a gun was aimed at her.

"I don't think Talia's gonna mind much if we bring you back dead!" He snapped, ready to pull the trigger when something round pressed into his back.

A sudden current of electricity went through him, pulling him into unconsciousness as he fell to the floor. Dick twirled his eskrima stick expertly, Tim peering down at the assassin, asking; "You still have your utility belt?"

Dick grinned, swaying the weapon in the air. "Never leave home without it."

Followed by a scoffing sound, Damian stalked out from behind him, his gaze lingering over the body and then coming across Blake's, the boy looking dumbstruck as he sputtered his sister's name before releasing a heavy sigh, then allowing gravity to tug at him until he hit the floor.

Tim was instantly beside him, crouching down and pulling Blake into his arms. Damian spared his friend a slight worried glance. He looked up at Dick, frowning. "I believe Blake is not habitual to seeing people get electrocuted."

Kate was startled as a hand landed on her shoulder, giving her chills as another hand held onto her other arm. "You okay?" Jason asked, helping her to her feet.

She mentally cursed the butterflies fluttering in her stomach when he braced her jaw, cocking her chin up slightly and examining the blood over her face and neck.

"Wait..." Jason provided her with a stern look, "Is this your blood?"

Kate bit her lip, unable to say anything.

Dick spoke up as well, "Hey," He was kneeling beside the assassin's unconscious form, "This guy's got those claws and teeth marks we're usually seeing on those dead muggers."

Questioning blue eyes gazed up at her, expecting the blonde to say something but she only swallowed, her gaze coming back to Jason who was providing her the same look his brothers were giving her.

No excuses came to her mind and she decided on going with the second option she had thought of. With a tired sigh, Kate copied her sibling, eyes fluttering shut as she drifted backwards. Jason swiftly caught her, wrapping his arms around her as he scowled, "Great! She passed out too."

Tim grimaced from where he stood, "The police is gonna be here any minute." He informed, Jason scooping the blonde into his arms.

They all exchanged glances, Dick remaining silent before sighing heavily and trudging towards the exit, the others following him.

* * *

Cracking open an eye, relief filled Kate's chest on finding herself in the safe premises of her bedroom. She swung her legs down, licking her upper lip unconsciously as she stepped infront of her dressing table. She grabbed her phone, pausing to see her reflection.

A young blonde was infront of her, pretty blue eyes and a bloody white shirt. A smirk quirked the corners of her lips and she mumbled a praise to Bruce who respected her enough to decently leave her dirty shirt on and let someone clean the dried blood on her face.

Silently, she stepped into her bathroom, closing the door behind her and leaning back on it as she dialed a number.

Pressing it to her ear, a scowl graced her features. "Hey, Talia." Kate gritted her teeth together, cocking her head back against the expensive wooden door.

The words that came from her mouth were forced and laced with poison.

"I'm ready to do what you want."


	21. Paying a Debt

_"Hiya!" _

The blonde let out a battle cry, swinging her leg only for him to duck beneath it. She kicked out again, two hands clasping around her ankle and sending her flying towards the other side of the room.

And just how she was taught, her arms shot out, body twisting around in the air so she landed over her hands before flipping on top of her feet.

"You're getting good," Dick grinned, blocking a punch with his forearm.

Releasing a breath, Kate flipped over him, landing behind and as soon as he whirled around, she swiped her leg beneath his feet, resulting him in falling back onto the tiled floor.

Dick blinked, slightly perplexed as she leaned forward and gently poked his nose.

"Gotch ya!" She laughed, placing her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, yeah. Very funny." He rolled his eyes, helping himself up.

Kate folded her arms over her chest, the corners of her lips curling into a smirk. "I just beat Nightwing." She seemed to sing, Dick rolling his eyes as he stalked towards the benches.

"You didn't beat me, Kate. I was just going too soft on you."

"Right..." She snorted, skipping over to the other side of the bench as he pressed a water bottle to his lips. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, the Romani focused his gaze on her, "How's Blake's fever going?"

"It's fine." She answered tersely, taking out a towel and wiping her face.

"Are you sure? He's had that fever for a week now."

The blonde ignored the worry in his tone, moving the towel to her neck. "I needed to ask you a favor, Dick." She pursed her lips as he settled her with a look and then nodded.

Kate began, "I have this friend..." She seated herself beside him, "I took some loan from her a few months ago. I have to repay her and for that I need to..." The blonde trailed off.

Dick arched an eyebrow, "You need to _what_?"

She offered him a sheepish smile, "I need to get out of the manor."

He stared at her, "Kate, you know you're not allowed to—"

"I know, I know! I'm not supposed go but come on. She's a really good friend of mine and I seriously wanna meet her. I asked her if she could come here but she just had an operation so the doctors have written her full bed rest." She gave a pleading look, "Please?"

Blue eyes met darker ones and Dick let out a sigh, "...okay, fine. You can go. I'll cover for you."

A grin tugging her lips, Kate was about to thank him when he turned to look at her, "Only on one condition."

She blinked, "What?"

"You're not lying, are you?"

For a moment, colour drained from the blonde's face but she quickly recovered. "Of course, I'm not lying!" She tried to sound offended.

"Kate, sorry, but you're not completely honest with us." He stated flatly, "You're hiding something."

Chewing on the insides of her cheeks, Kate scowled. "You guys know everything about me. I'm not hiding anything!" She felt her voice weaken a little as she protested.

Thankfully, he didn't note it. "Then why aren't you telling us the real reason those people were after you."

"I don't know them!" She argued, "I've never even see those weirdos in my whole life!"

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose, "Those weirdos were _assassins_; paid assassins to be exact. Someone is targeting you."

"No, one is targeting me."

"Look, the sooner you tell us what you did to get those assassin's attentions the better. 'Cause, Kate..." He held his gaze for a second or two, the time enough to make her stomach twist with uneasiness. He didn't have that friendly and flirty glitter in his eyes, instead he looked dead serious.

"We eventually find out about everything."

The words caused an unpleasant feeling to rise in the pit of her stomach, but she covered it up and simply frowned. She pushed herself up, mumbling something across the lines of _'I should've asked Jason'._ A thought struck her and before she started to walk, she settled him with an unimpressed look.

"You sound exactly like him," Kate commented.

His brows furrowed in confusion, "Who?"

Kate didn't mean to snarl, _"Batman."_

She paid no mind to the slightly startled look he provided her with as she casually strolled out of the gymnasium.

* * *

As soon as she entered the enormous room, a foot came out of nowhere, its heel crashing into her cheek and knocking her to the cold floor. Her vision blurred for a second or two, eyelids blinking rapidly to adjust to the sudden blow as a low, husky voice purred.

"Hey, Talia," Cheshire grinned, her maskless eyes flashing. "Look who _finally_ decided to join us."

A growl escaping her lips, Kate placed a hand over her cheek, wincing because of the bruise forming over it when something cold slid beneath her jaw, cocking her chin up. A smirk pulling the corners of her lips upwards, Talia pressed the sword's tip to the blonde's jaw.

"No one can escape the Shadows," She snarled.

And then the sole of her combat boot had slammed into the blonde's face, sending her reeling back to the floor.

Blood began leaking out of her nose and Kate covered it with her hands, blue orbs going red for a brief moment as she sat upright. Cheshire drew out her sais as Talia put a hand on her hip.

"Let's see if you haven't gone rusty," She sneered, the smirk firmly plastered on Cheshire's face.

Kate scowled, "Two against one isn't really fair." She quickly rolled out of the way of a flying sai.

"Nobody plays by the rules." Came the low growl and goosebumps scattered over Kate's body as the sword landed into the floor, merely an inch away from her face.

* * *

A navy blue sheet was splayed open over the stony chimney, Talia's green eyes flicking from Cheshire to Bloodlust. "We are going to take this route before going here," She dragged her gloved finger down to a spot on the map. "Then here are where we take out the guards and then move up because here Fubuki will be."

Bloodlust chewed on her bottom lip, "And who is Fubuki?"

Talia fixed her with a heated glare, "No questions need to be asked."

Parting her lips, Bloodlust slammed them shut again, watching as Talia rolled up the map and proceeded to walk over to building's edge, Cheshire hot on her heels. With a heavy sigh, the redhead followed suit, thinking why Icicle wasn't in this with them. She could almost remember Cheshire talk about someone named Black Spider who was to accompany them on this mission but had gotten killed because of unknown circumstances.

She gently touched the glamour charm hanging from her neck, her finger feeling its curved edges as they all skidded down, landing on the concrete floor before dashing inside the enormous building.

Their backs pressed against a wall, Talia peered outside, scanning the number of men guarding the area. "We need a distraction." She grimaced.

If it wasn't for her mask, they could've seen the chilling smirk forming on Cheshire's lips. "Oh, I have a distraction." She said casually, Bloodlust quite puzzled when a hand clasped around her elbow.

In a flash, she was thrown into one of the guards but she quickly leapt to her feet, sliding out a gun and firing a rubber bullet to a man who was ready to hit her with a solid one.

"A fucking warning would've been nice," Bloodlust snapped, grabbing a man's arm and sending him into one of his friends.

Cheshire bounced her shoulders, sai piercing through someone's leg.

"Both of you be on your guard," Talia's voice rang through the com-links in their ears, "Batman is here."

"Batman?" Bloodlust echoed, bolting aside right in time as a bullet came flying towards her.

Her silver eyes moved upwards, tongue trapping between her teeth on spotting Red Hood.

She wasn't aware if he was scowling beneath his mask or not, but he the way both of his guns were showering bullets her way, gave her the idea that he was furious. "The fuck are you working with them?!" He demanded.

"Nice to see you too, 'Hood." She replied, dodging bullets and taking shelter behind a pillar.

Red Hood was still yelling, "You're working with the shitty Shadows!"

Bloodlust fished through her utility belt, "Does this mean you're not taking me out on a date?" Red Hood was Jason. So flirting with Red Hood was actually like flirting with Jason. The thought caused butterflies to attack her stomach as she threw a handful of smoke pellets his way.

The pellets burst into pitch black smoke in midair, surrounding him in darkness. Utilizing the situation, she slid on the cold ground between his legs, then swiftly rolled backwards and stood on her hands, kicking him in the small of his back with one foot. He staggered forward in surprise, before she was up again by the time he turned around, aiming the gun. She knocked his face with her foot, the force not hard enough to break his nose because of the helmet but sufficient to throw him on the ground.

The guns hit the floor with a clatter. She kicked them to the other side of the room.

"And you were saying?" She smiled proudly at her handiwork.

And then, an escrima stick was flying towards her head. She ducked beneath the strike, pressing her lips into a straight line. "Who invited you to the party?"

A low growl left Nightwing's throat, and he swiped at her with both of his escrima sticks. Bloodlust ducked under them again.

Watching them train was proving very beneficial for her.

"Are you still mad because of the ship thing?" She inquired, crinkling her nose as she caught the ends of his escrima sticks.

Her grip tightened as he scowled, "You killed so many people!"

"They all deserved to die!" She snarled in his face.

Nightwing clicked something on the escrima sticks with his palms, blue electricity crackling through them. His brows knitted in confusion when she didn't show any signs of pain.

"Insulated gloves, darling." She flashed him a grin, boosting herself up and slamming both of her feet into his stomach.

As he reeled backwards, she landed back onto her feet but released a surprised gasp when two hands shot out from behind her, taking her by the wrists.

Red Hood growled, "Did Talia teach you that?"

"No, I just have a good teacher." Bloodlust muttered under her breath, pressing her back against him before jutting an elbow into his ribs with full force.

It made him stumble back, releasing her and she had already flipped forward, legs coming up and boots crashing into his chest.

In a flash, Nightwing was beside him. "Either she's gone good or we've gone slopy," He reached forward to help him up but Red Hood batted his hand away.

"It's definitely the second reason." He growled and then charged forward.

* * *

Talia stood straight, her eyes glittering and lips curved into a smirk as Batman stepped infront of her, his visible features gracing a deep scowl.

"Talia." His voice was ice cold.

"Beloved," She replied softly, gazing at him.

A new voice piped up, "Mother." Robin breathed, feeling his skin crawl when Talia's gaze landed on him. She offered him a small smile, green eyes narrowing.

"Hello, Damian." She greeted warmly and just before he could reply, something collided with him, throwing him into a wall.

He tipped his head up, gaze hardening on seeing Cheshire, the Vietnamese woman placing her hands onto her hips. "So you're the little bastard?" She inquired, unamused. "_Huh_, I thought you would've been taller."

The green hood pulled over his head, Robin released a snarl as he yanked his sword out from its sheath and then bolted towards her.

"Talia!" Batman scowled, "Stop this at onc—"

But she had slammed the heel of her palm into his nose, "My deepest apologies, beloved," Talia began, slipping out her gun. "But I have strict orders from father."

He batted the gun out from her hand, then punched her square in the jaw.

* * *

When Red Hood came charging towards her like a raged bull, Bloodlust's next thought was to flip above him, using his shoulders as support and kicking him on his back; a maneuver she had learned by studying Dick. She hopped onto her feet, not even wincing when Red Hood crashed into the wall behind them.

Beeping noises caught her attention and she found a number of small bombs near her feet, her eyes widening to the size of marbles as the beeping ceased and they blew up, the explosion strong enough to send her flying to the other side of the room.

She made a rough landing on her back, biting back a groan because of her sore muscles.

"Alright, that's it!" The redhead gritted her teeth, staggering up. "Enough playing around!"

And then, her eyes burned crimson, skin fading into a dark gray as black horns sprouted out from between her red locks. Her jaw was clenched, her back arching slightly as she felt something sway behind her. She twisted around, surprised to see a gray spiked tail extending from her tail bone.

Since when did her demonic form included a tail.

Her attention was snapped back to the current situation when Nightwing backed away slightly, his jaw hanging. "Did you know she could do that?!" He questioned loudly, sidestepping as Bloodlust pounced on him.

She slid over the ground, releasing a blood curling roar.

"The hell do I look like? Her _secretary_?" Red Hood sneered, helping himself to his feet. He stared at her, then frowned. "_Wow_. Just when I thought she couldn't get more fucked up."

The words caused something inside her to snap, a sour feeling pooling in her chest as she clenched her jaw, sharp teeth grinding against each other when flames flickered across her palms and she didn't waste a second in shooting them towards them.

Nightwing cartwheeled out of the way, _"Fire balls! _She's throwing fire balls!"

"Well, not anymore!" Red Hood pulled out his grapple gun, shooting its hook towards her and smirking when it lassoed around her shin. He pivoted on his heel, using all his force in sending her into the upper walls.

An enormous dent formed around her as her body made contact with the wall, a growl escaping her black lips as she slid to the upper floor.

Talia's voice echoed in her ears, "Get to the elevator. _Now!"_

Not questioning her, Bloodlust obliged, throwing out a few more smoke pellets before dashing towards the elevator, watching as Talia came in as well quickly followed by Cheshire. The doors slammed shut and soon they were moving upwards.

"Are we seriously taking the elevator?" She finally asked, Talia busy in relocating her jaw.

She shot her a glare, "Yes, but we're going up faster." She answered, producing a small bomb from her belt and placing it over the elevator's top.

A beep rang and it instantly blew open, all of them climbing up as it suddenly came to a halt.

"They're messing with the circuits," Cheshire deducted, her costume littered with sword cuts.

Talia looked unfazed, "Then let them." She replied, shooting a grappling hook upwards and clasping a hand around Cheshire's forearm.

As they zipped up, Bloodlust clenched the sides of the dark walls around her, pushing herself upwards and taking a giant leap, climbing ahead as well. They came to a halt near the top door, Talia giving a firm nod before Bloodlust pounded her fists against it. And on the second time when she hit the metallic doors with her tightened fists, they broke open, the three of them bolting in.

"This is where Fubuki is hiding," Talia motioned towards a sealed door.

Bloodlust cracked her knuckles, ruby red eyes flicking from the door to Talia. "You want me to break it open?"

"That's not necessary," She responded, dialing in a few digits on a small digital screen beside the door, smiling as it hissed open.

* * *

His heart was hammering in his chest as he sat beneath the wooden table, breathing heavy and sweat rolling down his forehead. If signing a contract with Ras Al Ghul was supposed to risk his life, then he should've never signed it. But now he was stuck here, simply because he deceived Ras in providing with the illegal nuclear weapons.

But smuggling nuclear weapons was his job. Then again, deceiving was his job too.

Fubuki blinked, the Japanese man hearing the noise of his door being open. He was sure it was securely locked.

"I don't see anybody here,"

"He must be hiding. Cheshire, find him."

Those voices sounded like women. That made his tense muscles relax slightly. How _bad_ could a few women be?

His heart skipped a beat when a sai embedded itself into the table, a mere centimetre away from his face.

"Found him," Cheshire grinned, taking him by the collars and slamming him onto the table.

He screamed when Talia shot both of his legs. "Good," She nodded, "Now we need to get out."

"Hate to break it you but how're we supposed to do that?" Bloodlust frowned, tail flicking behind her. "We're on the twelfth floor and Batman's coming after us."

And before anyone could answer her, the glass roof above them shattered into a million pieces. Bloodlust shielded her head with her arms and then looked upwards, staring flatly as a helicopter came into view. Three blacks lines descended from it, Talia fisting the back of Fubuki's shirt, ignoring his screaming in the foreign language as she and Cheshire attached the lines to their waists.

Bloodlust mimicked them, firmly gripping the line as Talia ordered something in Arabic, all of them being pulled upwards by the enormous chopper flying in the dark sky.

"Good job, ladies," Talia smiled proudly as soon as they were inside the helicopter, ignoring how the door beneath them blew up into tiny pieces and Batman came charging in.

She delivered a small hit to the back of Fubuki's head, knocking him out cold. "We got the job done nicely. Father would be pleased."

And something caught Bloodlust's eye, "_Uh_, Talia," She pointed downwards, the women with her quickly looking in the direction.

Robin offered them a furious scowl as he hanged from the helicopter with the aid of a grappling hook.

"He doesn't know when to give up, now does he?" Bloodlust mused, staring and Cheshire frowned, rubbing a cut on her arm which was provided by Robin. "The kid's got some guts."

"I believe he has got that from his father," Talia responded smoothly, cocking a gun towards him. She pulled the trigger, but Bloodlust jerked her hands up, the bullet firing to the moonless sky.

"Are you crazy?!" The redhead hissed, "That could've hit him!"

Talia stared at her for a moment, then narrowed her eyes. She parted her lips to ask something, but caught sight of Cheshire leaning down, throwing out her sai and smirking when it sliced through the grapple gun's rope, causing Robin to fall down.

And that's when Kate's throat went dry. Her muscles went tense, her body ready to jump out and grab Damian before he plummeted to his death when Batman came swinging, his cape fluttering behind him as he caught Robin in mid air.

Talia observed keenly how Bloodlust released a sigh of relief, shoulders slumping and she finally plopped down onto one of the small seats beside Cheshire, mumbling about Batman and good timing as she took a glass bottle of green liquid, then pressed it to her lips.

_Interesting_.

* * *

Dinner at Wayne manor was worth the blonde's interest today. As Kate sat down, she couldn't help but feel the sullen mood of all the family members. Like a good actress, she paid them no attention, focusing on the mouth watering food infront of her as she picked up a spoon.

Despite his frowning, Dick asked her, "So how was your friend?"

She poured herself a cup of water, "She was happy that I came." She answered smoothly, digging in the food.

Damian was muttering something under his breath, his blue eyes shooting murderous glares at the plate infront of him. "Stare some more and you might burn it," Tim snorted from across him, ignoring how the family's youngest growled.

"Whash kind a friend ish wash that ya were gone?" Jason inquired through a mouth full, Damian tossing him a disgusted look.

"You eat like a pig, Todd."

"Shut it, demon brat."

Dick leaned forward, "No fighting over the table, please." He pleaded, dropping his face into his hands. "I already have a pounding headache."

"No one asked for your opinion, golden boy." Jason snapped, shoving a spoon of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

Damian glared, "I believe you were raised in a barn. No wonder you have no etiquettes."

"Shut your little trap, brat or I'll shut it for you!"

They all seemed really snappy today.

Dick released a heavy sigh, leaning more ahead as Tim sent him a worried look. Kate ignored them, "So..." She began, Alfred placing a silver tray over the table. "Where's Mr. Wayne? Isn't he gonna eat with us?"

"No, Kate." Tim replied, "Bruce is kinda busy."

"Busy with _what_?"

Jason beat Tim to it, "He's in the cave working his ass off since we failed our mission tonight." He took a bite out of the chicken.

"Jay, can we please not discuss this on the table?" Dick inquired, massaging his temples.

Jason rolled his green eyes, "Why not? She knows everything about us so it doesn't matter." He swayed his spoon around, "Speaking of blondie, where's your brother?"

Damian was suddenly alert, "Yes, Flynn." He narrowed his eyes, "Where is Blake?"

She shrugged nonchalantly when a weak voice piped up. "Kate..."

The said female blinked, turning in her seat and forgetting to swallow as Blake stood by her side, gripping the empty chair, looking awfully pale. "Kate..." And he was swaying.

"Blake?" Her heart missed a beat, "Are you alright?"

"No," He squeaked and soon gravity was tugging him to the floor. His sister tried moved swiftly towards him, knocking the expensive chair back in the process.

Kate kneeled beside him_, "Blake!"_ She slid a hand over his sweaty forehead, dinner churning in her stomach as he was horribly warm.

"Is Blake okay?" She heard Tim ask, worry in his voice.

_"No!"_ Kate replied, hand fixed on his forehead. "He's gotta a very bad fever!"

Someone suggested about calling the ambulance but she remained by her sibling's side, throat dry and heart beating like a drum as she watched his brown eyes screw shut, low whimpers escaping his lips.

Oh, God.

* * *

**A\N:** *cough* karma *cough*


	22. In Your Memory

**A\N: **

**Me**: *hugs Damian* You are such a cutie in those animated movies~

**Damian**: *hissing* Unhand me, you stupid feline!

_Enjoy~_

* * *

"H-hello?"

A voice spoke up, accent heavily British. "Hello, this is Wayne manor. To whom do you wish to speak?"

_"Bruce?"_

There was a small pause, then: "Master Bruce is not here at the moment."

Pulling the headset closer to her ear, Kate pressed her small figure more into the wooden table. "Can I please talk to Mr. Wayne?" She whimpered.

The British voice answered, "Dear child, Master Bruce is not here. But please inform me— _good heavens!_ Are you weeping?"

"I need help," Kate squeezed her eyes shut, allowing warm tears to roll down her cheeks. "It's my little brother— Blake. He's really sick and... and..." Her voice wavered, hiccups entering her tone.

"Oh, dear. I will inform Master Bruce at once. Please tell me your address and name."

She responded by sobbing in the line.

* * *

It had been ten years since that conversation had happened between her and Alfred but Kate hadn't really forgot it. His voice was still fresh in her memory as she sat in the hospital's hall, the walls around her pure white and her face buried in her hands. She ignored how Damian stood leaning, shooting glares at anyone who passed by them.

"I'm a horrible sister," She kept on muttering to herself, "I'm a horrible sister. I'm a horrible sister. I'm a horrible sister..."

A hand landed on her shoulder, "No, you're not."

"Yes, I _am_." Kate pressed her face into her palms. "I was ignorant. I should've taken care of him."

"But if you start blaming yourself for everything things aren't going to get any better," Dick patted her back, smiling warmly.

A woman came walking up to them, her coat awfully similar to the walls. "Which one of you is Blake Flynn's guardian?" She peered down at them through large round glasses, amused when Damian swiftly stepped infront of her.

"What is wrong with him?" He demanded, the woman snorting before Kate cleared her throat, catching her attention.

The blonde pursed her lips, "I'm his sister."

"Well, then," The woman, presumably the doctor, straightened, flipping through a thin file in her hands. "Sorry to say, but the child has shown prominent symptoms of blood cancer."

Kate found her tongue swelling on the information. The lump in her throat didn't disappear when she swallowed, "H-he had it when he was four months old. How can it come back?"

"Cancer can return if a person is not fully taken care of," The doctor sniffed, "However, it would be of better if we see his previous medical files. We might need to perform chemotherapy later."

The blonde's stomach churned on hearing the treatment's name. "But... but.." She squeaked, heart hammering in her chest as she found her voice, "I don't have the files!"

The doctor frowned, Dick tossing her a questioning look. "You don't remember where they are?"

Kate shook her head, inhaling deeply. "N-no. They got burnt in the fire."

Features gracing a scowl, Damian shifted his weight to his right foot, cocking his chin up to focus his gaze on the doctor. "Are the files really necessary?" He inquired, grimacing when she nodded.

His icy eyes shifted to Kate, "Do you perhaps remember the name of the hospital Blake was first admitted in?" He asked, the doctor beside him speaking up again. "The child has a point," She didn't see Damian glare at her, "If you remember that—_and_ if you're lucky— we may find your brother's file from the hospital's old documents."

"Gotham South Cancer Hospital," Kate responded immediately, blue eyes gazing up at the doctor. "Under the guardian name of Bruce Wayne." She completely ignored the surprise looks Dick and Damian sent her, "Ten years ago, Bruce Wayne helped in Blake's cancer treatment. He paid for all of it and even though he wasn't his legal guardian, his name is still entered as his caretaker."

"I will contact the hospital shortly," The doctor nodded firmly, pivoting on her heel and stuttering off, the edges of her coat swaying behind her.

A second barely passed and Damian was infront of Kate, eyes narrowed sharply and muscles tensed. "Explain yourself!" He commanded, "What is relation with Father?!"

Kate raised a golden eyebrow, then blew a puff of air on his face.

Damian growled— _literally growled_—, readying himself to launch on her when a hand clasped around his elbow, gently pulling him back. "No, Little D." Dick warned, Damian huffing and batting his hand away.

Deep blue eyes settled themselves on her and Kate leaned into her seat, glancing sideways as if to avoid Dick's stare. "I don't get it," He looked confused, "I was with Bruce at that time. The only cancer hospital I remember is the one I went on Christmas because Bruce was helping this girl..."

Realization seemed to dawn on him, and Kate squeezed her eyes shut, sucking in a deep breath. Damian blinked, then scowled deeply as his elder brother pulled the blonde into a tight hug.

"What foolishness is this, Grayson?!" He hissed, jaw clenching as Kate gave a small squeak, Dick continuing to crush her to his chest. "Release Flynn this instant!"

His hand balled into fists when he was ignored.

"I can't believe it's you, Kate!" Dick grinned, the blonde attempting to free herself but failing miserably in it.

With a sigh, she rested her forehead against his chest, wincing. "Dick... You're kinda crushing my bones."

She instantly scooted away as she was released, "Sorry," He offered an apologetic smile, but then fixed her with a questioning look. "But why didn't you tell us that it was you before."

Her throat going dry, Kate parted her parched her lip to answer, but Damian beat her to it. "What nonsense are you sputtering, Grayson." He glowered, gaze flicking between them, jaw still clenched tightly. "What did she not tell you about?"

"This is Kate, Dami!" Dick responded enthusiastically.

Damian rolled his blue orbs, "I am not a fool. I am fully aware that this is Flynn."

Dick shook his head, "No, you don't get it..." He opened his mouth to elaborate but slammed his lips shut, deciding against it. "I can't wait to tell Jason," He was grinning excitedly, sliding his phone out of his pocket.

"He'd probably remember you!"

"What idiocy are you talking about?" Damian was scowling angrily.

Kate nibbled on her bottom lip, gaze sweeping over them as she got up. "I'll be right back," She excused, rising up and silently making her way away from them.

Upon nearing a door, she pushed it open, allowing light to illuminate the dark room. There was a painful pang in her chest as she neared the bed, careful in avoiding the table where a number of medical instruments lay. She pulled out a chair beside the single bed, plopping down on it.

"Hey, Blake. How's it going?" She mumbled, heart tying into a tight knot as she placed a hand on the boy's forehead.

It was almost like he was on fire; face flushed red and breathing rapid.

"Everything's gonna be alright," She assured to no one in particular, biting her bottom lip as her finger tips pressed gently to his burning forehead. "I'm sorry, Blake." Her fingers weaved into his brown locks, muscles weakening.

"I'm sorry for not taking better care of you. Sorry for leaving you all alone. Sorry for not being there when you needed me."

Her voice was breaking, her heart was squeezing and she was fighting back an onslaught of hot tears. "I don't have anyone except for you, Blake."

She wasn't going to cry. Weak people cried. But she couldn't live without him; couldn't imagine a single day if he wasn't with her. He was her world and she would rather die than to be separated from him.

"This is all my fault," Her teeth gritted together, guilt pooling up in her chest. "All my fault and I'm so, so, sorry..."

She was gently moving her fingers in his hair, her other hand fisting the bed sheet. And all of a sudden, something hot and wet slid down her cheek. Kate sniffed, digging the heels of palms into her eyes as she rubbed away the tears.

"Kate?"

The blonde blinked, gaze dipping downwards to find pale brown staring up at her. His face still hot, Blake cracked her a weak smile. "You're not gonna leave, are you?"

His wavering voice made her feel awful.

But then she caught sight of a golden bat symbol outside the window, bright against the dark clouds in the sky. Her muscles went tensed as she tore her gaze away from it, bringing it back to her sibling. She steeled her emotions, cheeks slightly wet from crying and chest a little numb.

"_No_, Blake." Her voice was soft but resonant, fingers intertwining into his brown locks again.

"I'm not gonna leave you alone."

She smiled faintly as his eyes fluttered close and he hummed pleasantly under her loving touch.

* * *

Friendly chatters rang in the atmosphere and Kate snapped her eyes open. The first thing she noticed was the slight pain in her back because of the uncomfortable couch and the next was the heavenly mouth watering scent of Alfred's pancakes.

With a small yawn, she got up, swinging her legs down.

"Morning, Kate."

"Good morning, Tim." The blonde offered the boy a smile, gaze shifting from him to Blake, the boy sitting upright on his bed and nibbling on a pancake, crumbs all over his lips.

And then she noticed that Tim was sitting on her chair. She felt confused, "How'd I end up on the couch?"

"You looked uneasy on the chair so I set you on the couch." Came a calm voice and Kate blinked when a brown mug was held in her face.

Blue eyes peered up through golden lashes, meeting dark green and her heart fluttered as Jason grinned. "Coffee?" He handed her the mug, crouching down beside her.

She muttered a small _'thank you'_, pressing the mug's rim to her lips in hope that it might hide the redness in her cheek. The hot liquid touched her tongue, but didn't burn it as she felt Jason's intense stare on herself.

"Well, I'll be damned." He whistled, smirking while leaning back into the small couch, arms crossing over his broad chest. "Golden boy was right. It is you."

Tim quirked an eyebrow, but before he could ask what he meant, the door creaked open, all gazes moving towards it as Bruce stepped inside the room, Damian by his side. Blake instantly flashed the other boy a grin, Damian offering the rarest of the small smiles in return before his face went back to that old scowl that usually his father wore.

Bruce's icy gaze landed on Kate, and the blonde placed the mug on the chipped floor, rising up from her seat with her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. Her heart beats were echoing in her ears as he neared her, his stare flat and not giving off any hints on what was storming through his mind.

A beat of silence passed and when Bruce parted his lips, Kate readied herself for a number of questions and scolds. But none of them ever came, instead a large hand was gently placed over her head and she stared, surprised as there was a flicker of emotion on Bruce's face.

Blue eyes softening, he smiled warmly, "Katherine,"

Her name wasn't said with force, and the tone wasn't bitter like it always was when he called her.

The hand slid over her cheek, the calloused palm rubbing over her skin before her chin was lifted up. Light blue eyes were met by steely blue ones and the end of Bruce's lips pulled upwards to form a small smile.

"You've grown up a lot," He mused thoughtfully.

For a brief moment, he looked a lot like the nice man she had encountered ten years ago.

And all of a sudden, two arms wrapped around his neck, Bruce stiffening as Kate buried her face into his chest. "It's nice to see you too, Bruce." Her voice was muffled as she nuzzled closer to him.

Blake grinned faintly as Jason and Tim exchanged glances while Damian glowered murderously, his scowl deepening when ever so slowly, Bruce coiled his arms around the young blonde.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he placed his chin on top of her head, blonde locks brushing against him as he rubbed soothing circles on her back.


End file.
